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PREFACE. 

The Railroad Companies throughout the country to-day are 
putting forth every effort to equip their rolling stock with the best 
brakes possible, and while the brakes are constantly being im- 
proved upon, it is growing to a massive subject. The Locomotive 
Engineer of this age must be qualified to handle long, heavy trains 
and manipulate the brake with safety to company property, em- 
ployes' lives and the lives of millions of people, who depend on the 
Engineer to take them safely to their desitnation. 

Facing such facts, I realize it is necessary in behalf of the 
railroad men, that the braking system be sifted down to prac- 
tical plain talk, which is within the reach of every railroad man 
to more easily comprehend its meaning. H. M. S. 



COPYRIGHT, JAN. 7, 1913. 

HOWARD M. SHADE, 
Conemaugh, Pa. 



1913 



WALTER'S PRINT, 
Lasrobe, Pa. 



©CU330823 



INTRODUCTORY. 
Engineers, Firemen and Trainmen are required to pass a cred- 
itable examination on air brakes. To pass, Engineers and Fire- 
men must receive a rating of 85 per cent; Trainmen, 60 per cent. 
This book contains an explanation of each essential part of the 
brake system. It also contains each question asked in an in- 
struction room examination, and for a special examination, re- 
duced to plain facts and common language, intended expressly 
to benefit railroad men, railroad companies, and for the safety 
of the public in general. 



fNDEX 

Air Pumps 8 inch 1 

Air Pumps 9 1-2 inch __. 2 

Automatic Brake Valve 51 

Air Signal System 24 

Automatic Slack 16 

Automatic Brake Vale Test 101 

Auxiliary Reservoirs 38 

Automatic Slack Adjuster 79 

Brake Valve Percentage 112 

Brake Cylinders 80 

Cut-out Cocks __ 87 

Dudlex Pump Govornor 18 

Feed Valve Test 100 

Guages 95 

Governor Test 101 

High Speed Brake 40 

High Pressure Control 42 

Handling Trains 53 

Indepkndent Brake Valve 64 

R. Triple Valve Defects . 37 

K Triple Valve 35 

Main Reservoirs 11 

Miscellaneous 61 

Miscdllaneous Questions 102 

Manipulation _109 

Non-return Check Valves 95 

Pressure ,.- 20 

Piston Travel 39 

Quick Action Triple Valve . 21 

Retaining Valves 43 

Slide Valve Feed Valve 22 

Straight Air Brake Pipe 18 

Signals 49 

Special Ezamination 61 

Safety Valve 100 

Size os Pipes 110 

Signal by Pump Governor „ 13 

Triple Valve. _" 27 

Train Pipe 23 

Test Pump Governor 83 

Train Pipe Test 101 

testing the Air___ ~ ^.99 



1,000 PRACTICAL 

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON THE WE8TINGHOUSE 

AIR-BRAKE. 

REDUCED TO PLAIN TALK. 

Q. What is a brake ? A. A device for stopping revolv- 
ing- wheels. 

Q What is a Power brake? A. A brake operated by 
manufactured power. 

Q. What is an air brake? A. One that is operated by 

Q Where do we get the air? A. From the atmosphere, 
and is compressed. 

How is it compressed? A. By an air compressor, 
opeia'tcd by a small engine, propelled by steam pressure, 
commonly cslled an air pump. 

Q. What style of air pumps are most used ? A. The 
,2-irjch. and a small par cent, of 8-inch pumps. 
AIR PUMPS. 
8-Inch Pumps. 

Q. Why is it called an 8-inch pump ? A. Because the 
steam piston is 8 inches in diameter. 

What is the diameter of the air piston? A. Seven and 
cne-hp.lf inches. 

Q. What stroke has the 8-inch pump? A. Nine-inch 
stroke. 

Q. Row many opera ive parts has the steam end of the 
8-inch pump ? A. Five. 

Q. Name them? A. The main steam piston, reversing 
piston, reversing valve, reversing valve rod and reversing 
plate, 
in an 8-inch pump? A. All on the one side of the air 

Q. How many valves are there in the air end of an 8- 
inch pump ? A. 4. 

Q. Name them. A. Two receiving and two discharge 
valves. 

Q. How many air inlets has an 8-inch pump ? A. Two. 



Q. Is the 8-inch a single or double acting pump? 
A.. Double acting. 

Q. What do we mean when we say a double acting pump ? 
A. A pump that compresses air on both up and down 
stroke, 

Q. How are the receiving and discharge valves located 
cylinder though in two separate cages, one above the other. 

Q. Which is the receiving valve in each cage? A. The 
lower valve. 

Q. Are the receiving and discharge valves in an 8-inch 
pump of the same size? A. No; the receiving valves are 
the smaller. 

Q. Do the valves all have the same lift? A. No; the re- 
ceiving valves being smaller have V$ of an inch lift, and 
the discharge valves have a 3-32 of an inch lift. 

Q. Occasionally an 8-inch pump will stop and you cannot 
get it to make a stroke. What might be the cause ? A. The 
stop pin may be worn too short and allows the piston to 
drop low enough to allow the packing ring to expand below 
the bush. 

Q. What stops the discharge valve in its lift? A. The 
top pin in the cage. 

Q. What stops the receiving valve in its lift? A. The 
discharge valve. 

AIR PUMPS. 
9^ -Inch Pumps. 

Q. Which is the standard pump on the Pennsylvania sys- 
tem? A. The 9V 2 -inch. 

Q. Is there any difference between the 8-inch and the 9 1 /£- 
iiieh pump? A. The 9%-inch pump is a larger pump with 
a much greater pumping capacity and the operation of the 
valve gearing is more easily understood. 

Q. How many kinds of 9% -inch pumps are there? 
A. Two. 

Q. Name them. A. A right-hand, and a right and left- 
hand pump. 



3 

Q. Where is the difference in these pumps? A. A right- 
hand pump has one steam pipe connection and one ex- 
haust. The right and left-hand pump has a steam and ex- 
haust connection on each side. 

Q How can you tell which is the steam and which is the 
exhaust c nnection? A. The lower one — the smaller one 
on either side — is the steam connection. The top and 
larcrer ^ne is the exhaust. 

Q What are the operative parts of the steam end of a 
P'6-i". h prim)? A. Steam piston, differential piston, steam 
valve, reversing valve, reversing valve rod and reversing 
pi* e 

Q What is the duty of the steam piston? A. To operate 
and move the air piston. 

Q. The duty of the steam valve? A. To admit and ex- 
haust steam to and f r m either end of the steam cylinder. 

Q. Duty of differential piston? A. To move the steam 
valve. 

Q. Duty cf the reversing slide valve? A. To admit 
steam to, and exhaust steam from, the right side of the dif- 
ferential piston 77. 

Q. Duty of the reversing valve rod? A. To move the 
reversing slide valve. 

Q, Duty cf the reversing plate? A. To raise and lower 
the reversing rod. 

Q. Name the operative parts of the air cylinder. A. Air 
piston, two receiving and two discharge valves. 

Q. Where are the valves located? A. The receiving 
valves are located on the left side of the pump; the same 
side the air inlet is on. Discharge valves on the right 
side — same side as the exhaust. 

Q. Are the air valves ail the same size? A. Yes. 

Q. What lift have the air valves? A. 3-32 of an inch. 

Q. What is the diameter of the steam and air cylinders 
of a 9% -inch pump? A. 9^ inches. 

Q. What is the stroke of the piston? A. 10 inches. 



Q. A small port leading through the cylinder cap from 
the left of the differential piston is for what purpose? 
A. To prevent steam pressure from accumulating back of 
piston 79. 

Q, If this port should become closed, would the pumps 
stop and on which stroke? A. It would stop on the up- 
stroke. 

Q. A small port leading through the cap nut of the re- 
versing slide valve chamber, should this port become closed, 
would the pump stop? A. The pump might stop. If it did 
it would be just before it reached the completion of thp up- 
stroke. 

Q. On starting a pump which is the first stroke the piston 
makes ? A. The up-stroke. 

Q. How is the proper way to start a pump ? A, See that 
the drain cocks are open; feed 10 to 15 drops of oil through 
the lubricator. Turn on steam to start the pump to run 
at about 40 strokes per minute. As soon as the steam 
cylinder is drained close the drain cocks and lubricate the 
air cylinder. 

Q. How would you lubricate the air cylinder? A. By 
oiling through the oil cup. 

Q. How many cupsful would you give a pump at one oil- 
ing? A. Some pumps require more oil than others, but 
usually three cupsful is sufficient. 

Q. What kind of oil should be used? A. The best of 
valve oil. 

Q Is it a good practice to oil the air cylinder through 
the air inlet? A. Never oil through the inlet. It will close 
the inlet strainer and air-ways. 

Q Where are the drain cocks located? A. One is con- 
nected to Passage B in the wall of the steam cylinder, the 
other to the exhaust. 

Q. What are the drain cocks for ? A. To drain any 
moisture that may be in the pump. 



Q. How should the drain cocks be when the pump is not 
working? A. Open at all times. 

Q. How long- should the pump run at 40 strokes per min- 
ute? A. Until the main reservoir pressure raises to 25 
or 30 lbs. 

X^. Why would you want 25 or 30 lbs. of main reservoir 
pressure before speeding up to normal speed? A. This 
pressure will cushion the pump and prevent the piston from 
pounding- against the pump heads. There is no provision 
made in the steam end of a pump for a cushion, hence the 
cushion must be formed in the air end. 

Q. What is the limited speed of a pump? A. 70 double 
or 140 single strokes per minute. 

Q. Why would higher speed be injurious to a pump? 
A. The air valves have so small a lift. To race a pump 
very little air will pass into the pump on each stroke. This 
will cause the pump to heat. 

Q. How can you tell if a receiving or a discharge valve 
is broken? A. By the iregular stroke of the pump. 

Q. How could you tell if the top receiving valve was 
broken or stuck open? A. On the down-stroke of the 
piston air would be taken in. When the motion was re- 
versed and the piston starts on its up-stroke there would 
be a puff of air out at inlet. This puff would cease as soon 
as a vacuum was caused under the air piston. The lower 
receiving valve would be unseated and the air would pass 
from the top end of the cylinder into the lower end by way 
of broken receiving valve and down through the air-way, 
past the lower receiving valve into the lower end of the 
cylinder. 

NOTE — The pump would have a quick 
up-stroke, always toward a broken receiving 
valve. 

Q. How could you tell if the lower receiving valve was 
broken or stuck open? A. The pump would operate the 
same as with the top receiving valve broken, only in the 



opposite movement. 

Q. Now if the top receiving valve was stuck shut, how 
would the pump operate? A. No air would be taken into 
the pump on the down-stroke. 

Q. How would the pump travel? A. The down-stroke 
would be slow on account of the piston pulling against a 
vacuum above the piston. The up-stroke would be quick 
on account of the vacuum assisting the steam under the 
steam piston. 

Q. If the lower receiving valve was stuck shut, how would 
the pump operate ? A. The same as with the top receiving 
valve stuck shut, only in the opposite stroke. 

Q. With a receiving valve broke the quick stroke of the 
piston would be — A. Always toward the broken valve. 

Q. A broken discharge valve, the quick stroke is — 
A. Always from the broken discharge valve. 

Q. Why is the quick stroke towards a broken receiving 
valve? A. There is no compression there, and the steam 
drives the piston quickly. 

Q. Why is the quick stroke from a broken discharge 
valve? A. There is a compression there, but the main 
reservoir pressure assists the steam and the piston is 
driven quickly from the broken valve. 

Q. If the top discharge valve was broken or stuck open, 
how would the pump operate? A. The piston would have 
a quick down-stroke and a slow up-stroke. There would 
be no air taken in on the down-stroke. 

Q. How could you test to tell if the top or bottom dis- 
charge valve was broken or stuck shut? A. Pump up the 
pressure. Stop the pumpj open oil cup. If the top dis- 
charge valve was broken there would be a constant flow 
of air through the oil cup. 

Q. If the lower discharge valve is broken, how could you 
tell? A. Remove the stop plug in the lower pump head. 
If the lower discharge valve is broken a constant flow of 
air will be indicated. 



Q. Is this always a good test? A. If the piston packing 
rings are good it is a good test. If the packing is very bad 
either top or bottom pressure might leak past. 

Q. If the lower discharge valve was broken, how would 
the pump work? A. The same as described for top dis- 
charge valve, but in the opposite stroke of the pump. 

Q. With a defective air valve, are we gaining any pres- 
sure ? A. With tight air piston packing rings, we are 
gaining air from one end of the air cylinder. 

Q. How can we tell if the air piston packing rings are 
bad? A. Run the pump at about 50 strokes per minute, 
place your hand on the air inlet and note if air is taken 
in the full length of the stroke. If so, O K, but if air is 
taken in only on about the first half of the stroke the 
packing rings are leaking; such packing rings should be 
renewed. 

Q. Is a 9% -inch pump a single or double-acting pump? 
A. A double-acting. 

Q. How can we tell whether it is a receiving or discharge 
valve that is broken, and if it is a top or bottom valve? 
A. Place your hand on the air inlet and watch the motion 
of the pump. If on the up-stroke of the piston there is 
no air taken in at the inlet the lower discharge valve is 
broken. This would be a quick stroke. If there is a quick 
down-stroke and no air taken in at the inlet the top dis- 
charge valve is broken. If on the down-stroke a full draft 
of air is taken in, and on the reversing of the stroke you 
receive a puff of air out through the inlet, the top receiving 
valve is broken. The up-stroke will be the quick stroke. If 
the lower receiving valve is broken there will be a puff of 
air at the inlet with a quick down-stroke. 

Q. What will cause a pump to stop? A. Badly worn or 
loose reversing plate, reversing plate bolts working loose, 
bent or broken reversing rod, nuts working loose on air 
piston, nuts working loose on either end of differential pis- 
ton, a cracked copper gasket under top head; leaking be- 



tween Passage B and cylinder will cause pump to stall when 
working against high pressure. Pumps often stop for the 
want of lubrication. 

Q. When a pump stops, how should we proceed to get 
it started again? A. Shut off the steam from the boiler; 
open drain cock 106 attached to steam passage. This will 
releive the pump of its pressure. Then turn on the steam 
suddenly. The pumps will often run or, at least, make a 
few strokes, which will enable one to locate the trouble. 
If the pump will not lubricate shut off the steam, remove 
the cap nut from the reversing valve chamber and drop 
a small quantity of valve oil in around the slide valve. 
Never pound a 9^ -inch pump to make it start. 

Q. What will cause a pump to stop on the up-stroke? 
A. Reversing plate bolts coming part way out, nut drop- 
ping off of diffedential piston, left side. 

Q. What will cause a pump to stop on the down-stroke? 
A. A nut drops off of differential piston, right side; nut 
works loose on air piston, piece of a broken check valve 
getting under piston, loose or worn reversing plate or a 
broken reversing rod. 

Q. How can we tell on which stroke the pump has 
stopped? A. Open the drain cock to the steam- way (the 
one on the left side of pump); if the pump has stopped on 
the down-stroke there will be no steam or, possibly, a very 
little escape. If the pump has stopped on the up-stroke 
there will be a constant strong flow of steam out through 
the drain cock. 

Q. How should the piston be oiled between the packing 
nuts? A. By using a swab saturated with valve oil. 

Q. What causes pumps to stop on one-half stroke? 
A. Bent or broken reversing valve rod. 

Q. At what point in the air cylinder does the greatest 
wear take place? A. Near the end of the stroke. 

Q. Why ? A. On account of the highest pressure at that 
point. 



Q. What causes a pump to pound? A. Water in the 
steam cylinder, pump getting too much oil, pump loose on 
bracket, bracket loose on toiler, air valves having too much 
lift, or jamb nut working loose under air piston. 

Q. We say a pump will stop on the down-stroke. If the 
piston nuts work loose, how can we tell that the piston 
nuts are loose and that the pump has stopped on the down- 
stroke? A. Shut off the steam; the air piston has not 
completed its stroke; the reversing valve is up, the differen- 
tial piston and steam valve are to the left. By opening 
the drain cock there will be no steam escape, because on 
the down-stroke steam Passage B registers with the er- 
haust through the cavity of the steam valve, and by no 
steam escaping through the drain cock will tell you that 
the piston has stopped before it completed its down-stroke. 
By shutting off the steam the pump is relieved of its pres- 
sure, thus allowing the reversing valve to drop down by 
its own weight. In a short time by admitting steam into 
the pump the pump will make an up-and-down stroke and 
stop again. You will hear the piston nut strike the lower 
pump head. 

Q. If the piston nut was found to be off, how can we 
hold the piston from turning round while we tighten the 
nut on again? A. Shut off the steam, remove the right- 
hand head from the differential cylinder, block the dif- 
ferential piston to the left, replace the head, turn on the 
ateam; the piston will make a down-stroke and stop, being 
held there by the steam above the steam piston. Never 
apply an alligator or Stilsen wrench to the piston between 
packing nuts. Sometimes by tightening the packing nuts 
piston may be held. Some pistons have a hole tapped in 
the under part of the head. A bolt may be inserted, thus 
preventing the piston from turning. 

Q. Is there any other cause for the pump stopping and 
the trouble would not be in the pump? A. Yes; the pump 
governor may not be working properly. The pump may 



10 

not be getting steam, or it may not be exhausting. 

Q H w can you tell if the pump is getting steam? 
A. Slack the nut at the steam connection at the pump. If 
steam escapes freely the pump is getting steam, then slack 
the nut on the exhaust pipe to see if the steam is ex- 
hausting. 

Q, If the exhaust pipe was closed in the front end, how 
would a pump perform? A. On starting the pump it would 
make a few strokes and stop. 

Q. How could you tell quickly if the steam was shut off 
at the governor? A. Cut the governor out of service. 

Q. If the air inlet becomes stopped up with dirt and 
you could not get the inlet off, what would you do? 
A. Punch holes in the strainer to let air in. Pump must 
get air somehow. 

Q. If the air-ways become stopped up while on the road, 
what could you do? A. Nothing. 

Q. What causes a pump to heat? A. Racing, want of 

oil, stuck or leaky air valves, obstructed air inlet or air 

passages to or from the air cylinder, working against a 

high main reservoir pressure, bad packing rings on air 

piston — the most frequent cause. 

Q. The pump appears to be working at good speed, but 
you are not gaining main reservoir pressure. What would 
you look for. A. A piece of paper or a leaf may be cov- 
ering the inlet. 

Q. How could you cool an excessive hot pump ? A. Throt- 
tle down to low speed and oil with best of lubricating oil. 

Q. Explain the operation of a 9% -inch air pump in both 
the up and down-strokes. A. When steam enters the pump 
it fills the space between the differential pistons, also passes 
through a passage leading to the reversing slide valve cham- 
ber. This chamber is constantly filled with live steam. 
When the steam enters the pump, if the differential piston 
is not to the extreme right, the steam will quickly force 
it there. In this position of the differential piston the 



11 

steam valve has been brought to uncover port "B," which 
leads down through the wails of the steam cylinder to the 
lower end, and steam flows through port "B" and is ad- 
mitted into the lower end of the cylinder under the piston. 
This forces the piston upward. The piston continues on 
its up-stroke until within % inches of the end of the stroke. 
The reversing plate on top of the piston engages the shoul- 
der on the reversing valve red and raises it; this raises the 
reversing slide valve, which brings a port in its bush to 
register the reversing slide valve chamber with the face 
of the large differential piston No. 77, then the steam will 
quickly equalize on both sides of piston No. 77 when steam 
has power against piston No. 79 and will move it to the 
left. The up-stroke being completed and the port leading 
to the top of the cylinder is opened by the steam valve 
moving to the left. In this position of the steam valve 
also register port "B" with the exhaust, and while the 
steam that drove the piston up is passing from under the 
piston through port "B" cavity of steam valve and exhaust 
live steam is flowing down on top of the piston, driving it 
down until within % inches of the down-stroke, when the 
reversing plate engages the knob on the lower end of the 
reversing rod, pulling it down. This also pulls the revers- 
ing slide valve down, which closes communication between 
the slide valve chamber and piston No. 77 and brings to 
register the pressure against the face of piston No. 77 with 
the exhaust by way of groove in the face of the reversing 
slide valve. Thus the pump has made an up-and-down 
stroke. 

MAIN RESERVOIR. 

Q. After air is taken from the atmosphere and com- 
pressed, it is stored where ? A. In the main reservoir. 

Q. What is the main reservoir for? A. A storehouse 
for compressed air. 

Q. Is it used for any other purpose? A. Yes; it acts 
as a catch-basin, catching the dirt and moisture that is 



12 

taken in with the air. It also acts as a cooler — cooling 
the air before it reaches the brake valve. 

Q. Is the air cool where it enters the pump ? A. Yes. 

Q. In the compression does the air get heated? A. Yes; 
and passes to the main reservoir hot. 

Q, We say main reservoir pressure extends from the 
discharge valves of the pumps to the rotary valve in the 
automatic brake valve? A. Yes. 

Q. How far is it from the pump to the automatic brake 
valve ? A. About 30 feet 

Q. How many main reservoirs are used on each engine? 
A. Some have two, others have four, main reservoirs. 

Q. Where are they located? A. At the most convenient 
place. 

Q. Why do some engines have four main reservoirs? 
A. To carry in store a large volume of air to insure a 
prompt release of the rear brakes on a long train. 

Q. Who is responsible for draining the main reservoir? 
A. The engineer. 

Q. How often should he drain the main reservoir? 
A. Once a week, and oftener in rainy weather. 

Q. If the main reservoir becomes partly filled with water, 
will it affect the application of the brakes? A. No; the 
quick-action brake cylinders do not get their pressure from 
the main reservoir to apply the brakes. 

Q. Will water in the main reservoir interfere with re- 
leasing the brakes? A. It will on a long train. The more 
water that is in the main reservoir the smaller the air 
volume, and with a long train you may not have a suf- 
ficient main reservoir volume to build up the train pipe 
pressure on the rear end of a long train to push the tripple 
pistons to release position. Hence the rear brakes will stay 
applied. 

Q. How many main reservoirs do the different classes of 
engines have, and with what cubic inch capacity ? A. H. 6a 
and H. 6b, 4 main reservoirs, 74,000 cubic inches; H. 8, 2 



13 

main reservoirs, 74,000 cubic inches; D. 16, B. 8, F. 1 and 
R, 2 main reservoirs, 39,200 cubic inches; B. 4, 1 main res- 
ervoir, 26,000 cubic inches; E. 2 and E. 3, 2 main reservoirs, 
36,600 cubic inches; K. engine, 2 main reservoirs, 50,000 
cubic inches. 

Q. What design of main reservoir is most desirable? 
A. Long, slim reservoir. 

Q. Why? A. It gives better radiation for cooling. 
SINGLE-TOP PUMP GOVERNOR. 

Q. Name the different parts of a pump governor. A. Cap 
nut, tension nut, adjusting spring, diaphragm, pin valve 
spring, governor piston, piston spring and steam valve. 

Q. What is the normal position of the governor? 
A. Open. 

Q. On what line of pipe is the governor located? A. On 
steam pipe leading from the boiler to the pump. 

Q. What is the duty of the pump governor? A. To stop 
the pumps when the desired main reservoir pressure is ob- 
tained. 

Q. Is the governor operated by steam or air? A. Oper- 
ated by air. 

Q. What air pressure operates it? A. Main reservoir 
pressure. 

Q. What is the port in the spring case for? A. Should 
the diaphragm be leaking this port will prevent a pres- 
sure accumulating in the spring case above the diaphragm. 

Q. If this port was closed and air leaked past the dia- 
phragm, what would be the result? A. Equalization would 
occur above and below the diaphragm; the pin valve could 
not be unseated. The governor could not stop the pump 
and very high main reservoir pressure would be the result. 

Q. What is the release port C attached to the chamber 
above the governor piston for? A. To allow the pressure 
above the piston to escape after the pin valve is seated, 
thus making the pump more sensitive in starting. 

Q. If the release port was stopped up would the pump 
stop? A. Yes. 



14 

Q. Would the pump start? A. It depends on the con- 
dition of the piston packing rings as to how long it would 
take the pump to start. The pressure above the piston 
will leak down past the packing rings and escape at the 
drip pipe; otherwise the piston could not raise to unseat the 
steam valve. 

Q. If the pin valve would not seat on account of dirt on 
its seat, or it might be slightly bent, would the pump work? 
A. That depends on how bad the pin valve is leaking. If 
the leak is slight and the air can escape through Port C 
as fast as it leaks past the pin valve the pump will work. 
But if the leak past the pin valve is greater than can escape 
through Port C the pump would travel sluggish and may 
stop. 

Q. Why not make Port C larger? A. To do so would 
only be a waste of main reservoir air while the governor 
had the pump stopped. 

Q. If there is a constant blow at Port C which would be 
a waste of air, would you plug the port to stop the leak? 
A. No. 

Q. If this port was plugged or closed with dirt, what 
would be the result? A. The pump would stop; you could 
not get it to make a stroke. 

Q. Why is the drip pipe connected to the governor under 
the piston? A. To allow any steam to escape that may 
leak past the steam valve stem. 

Q. If the drip pipe was closed with dirt or was frozen 
shut, what would be the result? A. The governor could 
not stop the pump, and high main reservoir pressure would 
result. 

Q. What causes a strong waste of steam from one drip 
pipe, while at another there will be very little, if any? 
A. This depends on the condition of the steam valve; it 
is the steam that leaks past the collar of the steam valve 
that escapes through the drip pipe. 

Q. What is the normal position of the governor? 



15 

A. Open. 

Q. If the casing around the piston becomes worn the 
piston will occasionally stick. How would you get it loose ? 
A. Tap the governor or pipe; this will jar it loose. 

Q. Explain the operation of the governor in normal and 
closed positions. A. In normal position the steam valve 
is open; the pin valve is seated, the adjusting spring is 
holding the diaphragm down; steam is passing to the pump 
and main reservoir air is under the diaphragm. As soon 
as the main reservoir pressure is raised to slightly greater 
than the tension of the adjusting spring the diaphragm is 
raised, which unseats the pin valve, and main reservoir air 
passes down over the pin valve seat on top of the governor 
piston, forcing it down, which forces the steam valve to 
its seat, shutting off the steam from the pump. It will 
stand this way only as long as the main reservoir pres- 
sure is strong enough to keep the diaphragm raised. Just 
as soon as the main reservoir pressure is weakened the ad- 
justing spring will expand, force the the diaphragm down, 
seat the pin valve. The air that is above the governor piston 
will escape through Port C, which is open to the atmosphere 
at all times; the piston spring will lift the piston, which 
will unseat the steam valve, and the pump will start again. 

Q. To adjust a governor for higher pressure remove 
the cap nut, screw the adjusting nut down; for a lighter 
pressure screw it up. 

Q. Does the air pass through a strainer to enter the 
governor? A. Yes. 

Q. If this strainer should close up, what would be the 
result? A. High main reservoir pressure. 
AUTOMATIC BRAKE VALVE. 
G-6 Brake Valve. 

Q. How many valves are there in the G-6 brake valve? 
A. Two. 

Q. Name them. A. Rotary and equalizing discharge 
valve. 



16 

Q. What is the rotary valve's duty? A. To register 
the various ports with the ports in its seat. 

Q. What is the duty of the equalizing discharge valve? 
A. In making a service application of the brake it auto- 
matically controls the flow of air from the train pipe to 
the atmosphere. 

Q. With the G-6 brake valve on lap position, what pres- 
sure does the rotary valve divide ? A. Main reservoir pres- 
sure, train pipe and equalizing pressure. 

Q. With the G-6 brake valve on lap, what pressure does 
the equalizing discharge valve separate? A. The train 
pipe and equalizing pressure. 
A. All ports are closed, With brake valve handle in serv- 

Q. What is the duty of the brake valve? A. It is a me- 
chanical device by which the brakes may be applied and 
released. 

Q. How many positions has the G-6 brake valve? 
A. Five. 

Q. Name them. A. Release, running, lap, service and 
emergency. 

Q. To start the pump with the brake valve handle in re- 
lease position, how will the pointers on the gauge raise, 
and where will they stop? A. In release position the ro- 
tary valve opens direct communication between the main 
reservoir and train pipe, and both pointers will raise to- 
gether and stop at 100 lbs., if the governor is set at 100 lbs. 

Q, How will the gauge pointers raise with brake valve 
handle in running position ? A. This being the indirect 
way, by way of the feed valve, the red pointer will raise 
about 8 lbs.; then the black pointer will start and follow 
about 8 lbs. behind the red pointer and stop at 70 lbs.; 
the red pointer will stop at 100 lbs. 

Q. Why is this? A. It takes about 8 lbs. to operate the 
feed valve. 

Q. How will the pointers raise with the brake valve on 
lap? A. The red pointer will raise and stop at 100 lbs. 



17 

The black pointer will stay at 0. 

Q. To start the pump with brake valve handle in serv- 
ice or emergency positions, how will the gauge pointers 
raise? A. The same as on lap position. 

Q. Why is this? A. Because with the brake valve han- 
dle in either lap, service or emergency position you are 
gaining main reservoir pressure only. 

Q. Of the five positions of the automatic brake valve, 
in how many positions is the rotary valve used alone? 
A. Three; release, lap and emergency. 

Q. In the other two positions, what valves are used with 
the rotary valve? A. In running position, the feed valve. 
In service position the equalizing discharge valve is used, 

Q- What pressure is always on top of the rotary valve? 
A. Main reservoir pressure. 

Q. With the G-6 brake valve handle in release position, 
air is passing through from where to where? A. From 
the main reservoir to the train pipe; from the main reser- 
voir to equalizing reservoir through Ports G and E, and to 
the atmosphere through the Warning Port R. 

Q. In running position, air passes from where to where? 
A. From the main reservoir through the feed valve into 
the train pipe; from the train pipe to Chamber D, and the. 
equalizing reservoir. 

Q. On lap position, air passes from where to where? 
A. All ports are closed. 

Q. With brake valve handle in service position, air passes 
from where to where? A. From Chamber D to the atmos- 
phere through the preliminary exhaust port, and from the 
train pipe to the atmosphere past the equalizing discharge 
valve. 

Q With brake valve handle in emergency position, air 
passes from where to where? A. Fr m the train pipe 
direct to the atmosphere by way of straight exhaust, and 
from the equalizing pressure to the atmosphere through 
Port E, and straight exhaust. 



18 

Q. Is the equalizing* reservoir connected to Chamber D 
at all times? A. Yes. 

Q. Why is this reservoir attached to Chamber D? A. To 
enlarge Chamber D volume, giving a larger volume to draw 
from when applying the brake in service. Chamber D vol- 
ume of itself is too small to make a gradual reduction 
from. 

Q. To what volume does the equalizing reservoir raise 
Chamber D volume to ? A. The standard equalizing reser- 
voir is 10x14 ^ inches and increases the volume of Cham- 
ber D pressure to 800 cubic inches. 

Q. How many ways does the air pass from the main 
reservoir to the train pipe? A. Two. 

Q. Name them. A. Direct, with the brake valve in re- 
lease position; indirect, with the brake valve in running 
position by way of feed valve. 

Q. If we apply the brake with a service reduction of 8 
or 10 lbs., and soon we hear the brakes releasing, is the 
trouble in the brake valve? A. It may be that the rotary 
valve or gasket is leaking, or there may be an auxiliary 
leak. Either of these defects would release the brakes. 

Q. How can we tell where the trouble is? A. Apply the 
brakes again and watch the train pipe gauge pointer. If 
it raises the rotary valve or gasket is leaking. If the 
pointer stands still it's an auxiliary leak. 

Q. In all, how many brake valves are used on P. R. R. 
engines ? A. Four in all. 

Q. Name them. A. G-6 and H-6 automatic, SWA and 
S-6 straight air. 

DUPLEX PUMP GOVERNOR. 
automatic brake valve and S-6 straight air brake valve ex- 
plained in E T-6 equipment. 
STRAIGHT AIR BRAKE VALVE. 
S, W A. 

Q. What is the letter of this valve ? A. S W A. 

Q. How many valves are used in connection with the 



19 

straight air brake? A. Four. 

Q. Name them. A. Reducing- valve, brake valve, double- 
seated check valve and safety valve. 

Q. How many valves are there in the brake valve? 
A. Two. 

Q. What are they called? A. Application and exhaust 
valve. 

Q. How are these valves operated? A. By a shaft to 
which the handle is attached. 

Q. What kind of seats do the application and exhaust 
valve have? A. Leather seats. 

Q. How many positions has the straight air brake valve ? 
A. Three. 

Q. Name these positions. A. Release, application and 
lap. 

Q. In application position, if the exhaust valve is leaking, 
where will the blow occur ? A. At the brake valve exhaust. 

Q. When in release position, if the application valve is 
leaking, the blow will be where? A. At the brake valve 
also. 

Q. For what service was the straight air brake designed? 
A. For shifting service. 

Q. Why for shifting service? A. To get a brake that 
can be applied and released quickly. 

Q. Where is the safety valve located? A. At the brake 
cylinder. 

Q. What is the safety valve set at? A. 53 lbs. 

Q. Where is the double-seated check valve located? 
A. At union of air pipes leading to the brake cylinder. 

Q. What would cause a blow at the triple exhaust, when 
the straight air brake is applied? A. The double-seated 
check valve would be leaking at the automatic side. 

Q. If a blow occurs at the exhaust of the straight air 
brake valve, when the brakes are applied automatically, 
where is the trouble? A. The double-seated check valve is 
leaking at the straight air side. 



20 

Q. What kind of seats has the double-seated check valve ? 
A. Leather. 

Q. Why? A. Being near the main reservoir they would 
naturally come in contact with oil, and rubber will not 
year in oil, so leather seats are used. 

Q. Was the straight air brake intended to be used on 
other than shifting engines? A. Yes; it may be used to 
good advantage in either freight or passenger service. 

Q. How could you cut out a straight air brake? A. The 
reducing valve has a cut-out cock. If closed will cut out 
the brake. If a C-6 reducing valve is used slack the ten- 
sion on the adjusting spring to allow the regulating valve 
to seat; that will cut the brake out. 

Q. Having the automatic brake applies and you desire to 
keep the slack bunched, when would you apply the straight 
air brake? A. Just before releasing the automatic brake. 

Q. Can the straight air brake be applied after a partial 
application of the automatic brake? A. Yes. 

Q. With the straight air brake fully applied, can the 
brake cylinder pressure be raised by applying the automatic 
brake? A. Yes; the brake cylinder pressure can be raised, 
but the safety valve will blow to the atmosphere all pres- 
sure above 53 lbs. 

Q. After applying the straight air brake partially, what 
may prevent the straight air from releasing? A. An ap- 
plication of the automatic brake may reverse the double- 
seated check valve and the straight air cannot release. 

Q. Where is the reducing valve located? A. On a line 
of pipe leading from the main reservoir to the brake valve. 

Q. What is the reducing set at? A. 45 lbs. 
PRESSURE. 

Q. How many pressures are used with a complete quick- 
action brake? A. Six. 

Name the pressures. A. Atmosphere, main reservoir, 
train pipe, auxiliary reservoir, brake cylinder and equaliz- 
ing reservoir pressure. 



21 

Q. What pressure does each pressure contain per square 
inch? A. In passenger service, pressure per square inch: 

Atmosphere 14 7-10 lbs. 

Main reservoir 140 lbs. 

Train pipe 110 lbs. 

Auxiliary reservoir 110 lbs. 

Equalizing reservoir 110 lbs. 

Brake cylinder pressure equalized at about 58 lbs. 

In freigh service: 

Atmospheric pressure 14 7-10 lbs. 

Main reservoir 100 lbs. 

Train pipe 70 lbs. 

Auxiliary reservoir 70 lbs. 

Equalizing reservoir 70 lbs. 

Brake cylinder pressure equalizes at 50 lbs. 

Q. The pressures extend from where to where, and what 
are they used for? A. Main reservoir pressure extends 
from the discharge valves of the air pump to the rotary 
valve of the automatic brake valve, and is used to charge 
and recharge the train pipe; operate the straight air brake; 
operate the pump governor, sander, and red hand on the 
gauge. 

Q. Train pipe pressure ? A. Extends from the feed valve 
to the face of the triple piston and is used to charge the 
auxiliary reservoir apply and release the brakes. 

Q. Auxiliary reservoir pressure? A. Extends from the 
back of the tripple piston to the slide valve, and is used to 
supply the brake cylinder, to apply the brakes. 

Q. Brake cylinder pressure? A. Extends from the trip- 
ple slide valve to the tripple exhaust, or retaining valve. 

Q. Equalizing reservoir pressure? A. Extends from 
Chamber D in the automatic brake valve to the black 
pointer on the gauge, and is used to draw from to start 
the brakes to apply in service. 

Q. What causes the air brake to operate? A. A varia- 
tion of pressures. 



22 

SLIDE VALVE FEED VALVE. 

Q. Where is the feed valve located with the quick-action 
or G-6 brake valve? A. Attached to the brake valve. 

Q Where is the feed valve located with the E T-6 equip- 
ment and H-6 brake valve? A. On a pipe leading from 
the main reservoir pipe to the automatic brake valve. 

Q. What is the feed valve's duty? A. To control the 
train pipe pressure. 

Q. What are the essention parts of the feed valve? 
A The supply valve, supply valve piston, regulating valve, 
regulating spring, diaphragm, supply vaive and piston 
spring. 

Q What is the normal position of this valve ? A. Closed. 

Q. When open, how does air get into the train pipe ? 
A. Both direct and indirect. 

Q. How many parts has the feed valve? A. Two; a 
supply part and a regulating part. 

Q. If a supply piston spring was weak or broken, what 
would occur? A. Main reservoir and train pipe pressures 
would equalize. 

Q. If the regulating valve could not seat, what would 
occur? A. The supply valve would not go to normal posi- 
ton, and main reservoir and train pipe pressures would 
equalize. 

Q. If the regulating valve was closed, what would occur? 
A. If the pressure in the train pipe was light the supply 
valve piston would move toward Chamber E, but would 
quickly return to normal position, cutting the feed valve 
out of service. 

Q. What effect would a leaky supply valve have? 
A. Overcharge the train pipe. 

Q. A leaky cap nut would do what ? A. Overcharge 
the train pipe. 

Q. What effect would a leaky feed valve gasket have, if 
leaking between the ports? A. Equalize main reservoir 
and train pipe -pressures. 



23 

Q. If with the automatic brake valve handle in running 
position the train pipe pressure runs too high, where would 
you look for the cause? A. In the feed valve. 

Q. If with the automatic brake valve handle in running 
position you get no train pipe pressure, where would you 
look for the trouble ? A. In the feed valve. 

Q. Is there any difference in the B-6 and C-6 feed valve? 
A. They are the same, except that the B-6 feed valve has a 
thumb wheel attached to the tension nut by which the feed 
valve may be quickly adjusted for either low or high train 
pipe pressure. 

Q. Explain the operation of the feed valve. A. With the 
automatic brake valve handle in running position main 
reservoir air passes through Port F in the rotary valve and 
through a passage leading to the feed valve. On entering 
the feed valve it forces the supply piston back, which takes 
with it the supply valve, uncovering Port B in the slide 
valve seat, and main reservoir pressure flows direct into 
train pipe; at the same time main reservoir air is leaking 
past the supply piston into Chamber E, and through Port 
A past the regulating valve against the diaphragm and 
joins the air that is passing direct through Port B. This 
is the direct way. The direct way charges the train pipe. 
The indirect way shuts it off. As soon as the train pipe 
pressure becomes slightly greater than the tension of the 
regulating spring the diaphragm is moved back, compresses 
the regulating spring, which allows the regulating valve 
to be seated. This done the pressure in Chamber E will 
quickly equalize with main reservoir pressure, when the 
supply piston spring will expand, force piston and slide 
valve to normal position, shutting off the direct way and 
the train pipe pressure will be retained according to the 
tention of the regulating spring of the feed valve. 
TRAIN P A PE. 

Q. There is a pipe which extends the full length of each 
car, tender and engine, what pipe is it? A. The train pipe. 



24 

Q. What size pipe is it? A. l 1 /^ inches. 

Q. What is attached to each end of this piece? A. A 
sleeve. 

Q. Why is a sleeve attached? A. If the end of the 
pipe becomes damaged the sleeve may be easily replaced 
without interfering with the train pipe. 

Q. Are there any cut-out cocks on this pipe? A. Yes; 
one on each end. 

Q. What kind of cocks are they? A. Angle cocks. 

Q. Why do we call these angle cocks? A. Because they 
are cast in an angle. 

Q. To what is the hose connected? A. To the angle 
cock. 

Q. If the hose couplings leak, how can it be remedied ? 
A. Drive a thin wooden wedge behind the lugs of the 
coupling. 

Q. Are there any pipes branching from the train pipe 
on a freight car?. A. Yes; one. 

Q. Where does it lead to? A. To the tripple valve. 

Q. What size is the branch pipe? A. One inch. 

Q. Is there a cut-out cock in the branch pipe? A. Yes. 

Q. What size is the cut-ou' cock. A. % of an nich. 

Q. What is the cut-out cock used for ? A. To cut out the 
brake if it becomes defective. 

Q. How would you proceed to cut out a defective brake? 
A. Close the cut-out cock in the branch pipe; drain the 
auxiliary reservoir. 

Q. Why drain the auxiliary and card it? A. To prevent 
the brake from leaking on. 

Q. If the trouble is in the triple valve, auxiliary or 
brake cylinder, what color card would you use? A. Ma- 
nilla — a light card, properly filled out, stating the defects. 

Q. If the train pipe or branch pipe between the train 
pipe and the cut-out cock was broken, what color card 
should you use? A. A red card, properly filled out, stat- 
ing defect. 



25 

Q In either case, where should the card be placed? 
A. Fasten to branch pipe close to the cut-out cock. 

Q Why fasten to branch pipe near cut-out cock? A. At 
that point it is most likely to be seen, and a trainman or 
inspector going over a train can quickly see why the brake 
is cut out. 

Q. How many branch pipes lead off from the train pipe 
on a passenger car? A. Two. 

Q. Where do they lead to? A. One to the triple valve 
and one to the conductor's valve. 

Q. Is there a cut-out cock in the branch pipe leading 
to the Conductor's valve? A. No. 

Q. On some Pullman and on private cars are there more 
than two branch pipes leading from the train pipe? A. 
Yes; some Pullman and private cars have three branch 
pipes; one leads to the triple valve and one to a Con- 
ductor's valve on each end of the car. 

Q. Why are such cars equipped with two Conductor's 
valves? A. To avoid running a line of cord through the 
car. 

Q. How many branch pipes lead from the train pipe 
on engine and tender? A. Three. 

Q. Where do they lead to? A. One to the automatic 
brake valve; one to the triple valve on the engine and 
one to the triple valve on tender. 

Q. Do these branch pipes have cut-out cocks? A. There 
is a cut-out cock located in each branch pipe leading to 
the tripple valves, and if the Westinghouse cut-out cock 
is used, it is located in branch to the brake valve; but if 
the P. R. R. cut-out cock is used, it will be located in the 
main reservoir pipe; then there will be no cut-out cock 
in the branch pipe leading from the train pipe to the 
automatic brake valve. 

Q. If the branch pipe on a passenger car breaks between 
the train pipe and the cut-out cock, how will you fix it with 
the least detention? A. Take the piece of pipe next to the 



26 

triple valve, reverse it, fasten it into the train pipe. Be 
sure the cut-out cock is closed, bleed the auxiliary and go 
ahead. 

Q. How about the carborater lights? A. If the non- 
return check seats properly, the lights will burn for four 
hours. I know of no way to charge the carborator tank. 

Q. If the train pipe is broken on a passenger car, how 
can you arrange to supply the cars back of it with air? 
A. Couple the train pipe and air signal hose together, and 
pass the air to the cars in the rear through the signal 
pipe. 

Q Can you couple the signal hose and train pipe hose 
with your hands? A. No; they must be drove together. 
The air signal hose coupling is smaller than the train pipe 
hose coupling. 

Q. Why is one coupling made smaller than the other? 
A. To prevent mistakes being made in coupling up the 
wrong hose when trainmen are making up trains. 

Q. If a car has a broken train pipe so as it could not be 
used, how would you arrange to take the car along in the 
train? A. Drill it in on the rear end. 

Q Before placing the car on the rear end, what would 
you look for? A. See that the car has a good hand brake. 

Q If it does not have a good hand brake, what will you 
do with it? A. Place a car behind it that has a good hand 
brake. 

Q Would you couple the hose on the front end of the 
defective car? A. Yes; close the angle cock on the front 
end of the defective car; couple the hose and turn the air 
in. 

Q Why would you do this? A. If the defective car 
should break off, it would apply the brakes on the train. 
If it is a passenger car, the signal hose must be coupled 
up; then if the car breaks off at that point, there will be 
one long blast of the signal whistle. 

Q. Does the train pipe air pass through any strainers 



27 

before it ranches (he triple valve? A. Yes; two. 

Q. Whei a e they located? A. One at the union of the 
branch pipe, the other at the triple valve. 

Q What must be done at the end of the trip, when you 
couple air hose and signal hose together? A. It must be 
reported the couplings being of different sizes, will be 
damaged and may have to be replaced. 
TRIPLE VALVES. 
Plain Triple Valves. 

Q. How many kinds of triple valves are used? A. Two. 

Q. What are they? A. Plain and quick action. 

Q. How many operative parts has the plain triple? A, 
Three. 

Q. Name them ? A. Triple piston, graduating valve and 
slide valve. 

Q. What is the duty of the triple valve? A. To con- 
trol the flow of air to and from the auxiliary reservoir 
-o and from the brake cylinder, to apply and release the 
Drakes. 

Q. How many positions has the plain triple ? A. Four. 

Q. Name the positions? A. Release, service, lap and 
emergency. 

Q What is the duty of the triple piston r A. To open 
and close the train pipe, feed port, seat and unseat the 
graduating valve and move the slide valve. 

Q. How many square inches has the front of the triple 
piston ? A. Nine square inches. 

Q. What pressure is in front of the triple piston? A. 
Train pipe pressure. 

Q. What pressure is back of the triple piston? A. 
Auxiliary reservoir pressure. 

Q. When the pressures are equalized and a train pipe 
reduction is made, what is the first thing the triple piston 
does when it moves? A. Closes the train pipe feed port 
and unseats the graduating valve. 

Q. After the piston has closed the feed port and unseated 



28 

thi graduating valve, is the brake applying? A. No; not 
until the slide valve is moved to register its service port 
with the port in its seat. 

Q. Then the triple piston has three duties to perform? 
A. Yes; it closes the feed port, seats and unseats the grad- 
uating valve and moves the slide valve. 

Q. What is the duty of the graduating valve? A. The 
graduaitng valve is only used in making a service applica- 
tion of the brake, and its duty is to automatically measure 
the flow of air from the auxiliary reservoir to the brake 
cylinder. 

Q. What is the duty of the slide valve? A. Its duty is 
to register its ports with the port in its seat. 

Q. What port does it register in applying the brake? 
A. Port that communicates the auxiliary reservoir and 
brake cylinder pressures. 

Q. What port does the slide valve register in releasing 
the brake? A. It registers the brake cylinder to the 
atmosphere by way of a groove in the slide valve. 

Q. What is the letter of the old style triple valve? A. 
H. 24. 

Q. Where are they usually fund? A. On small cars and 
small tenders. 

Q. Where is the cut-out cock located on the old style 
plain triple? A. In the body of the triple. 

Q. How many positions has the handle of the cut-out 
cock? A. Three; straight air, automatic and cut-out. 

Q. Explain the positions? A. Handle perpendicular in 
line with pipe for straight air; horizontal cross ways of 
pipe for automatic, and half way between perpendicular 
and horizontal to cut-out. 

Q. If with the cut-out cock in cut-out position a blow 
occurs at the triple exhaust, what causes it? A. The cut- 
out cock is leaking. 

Q. To apply the brakes, then cut-out a brake with the 
old style plain triple, can the brake be released by bleed- 



ing the avxih'ary reservoir? A. No. 

Q. How rouid the brake be released? A. Cut in, release 
the brakes in the usual way, then cut-out. 

Q K w many kinds of plain triples are M use? A. Two. 

Q. What are they? A. The old style H. 24, with the 
cut-out cock in the body of the valve, and can be used in 
either straight air or automatic, and the improved plain 
triple with the cut-out cock in the branch pipe. This is 
the F. 46 triple and can be used in automatic only. 

Q. Is there any difference in the old style and the im- 
proved plain triple aside from the cut-out cocks? A. The 
only difference is the improved plain triple is larger. It 
has the same operative parts and the same positions as 
the old style triple. 

Q. Where is the improved plain triple always found? 
A. On driver brakes on an engine. 

Q. Why are plain triples used on driver crakes ? A. The 
P. R. R. does not want a high brake cylinder pressure on 
the driver brakes. 

Q. With an old style triple on tender cut in for straight 
air, and an improved plain triple on driver brace, how 
would it work? A. With automatic brake valve handle in 
release or running position, the engine brake will be re- 
leased and the tender brake applied. In emergency position 
the engine brakes will be applied and the tender brakes 
will be released. The old H. 24 will work in harmony with 
any other triple valve if cut in for automatic; but on the 
P. R. R. its becoming to be a thing of the past. 

Q While a plain triple has an emergency position, can 
we get an emergency application of the brake with a plain 
triple? A. No; while the triple piston and slide valve 
Loth stop in the emergency position, when a quick, sudden 
train pipe reduction is made, and the slide valve clears the 
port in its seat, it opens direct communication between the 
auxiliary and brake cylinder through a larger port than 
the service port in the slide valve, hence with the standard 



30 

5-inch driver brake piston travel, we get a full equaliza- 
tion of auxiliary pressure in the driver brake cylinder 
which is 50 lbs. per square inch, from a 70-lb. train pipe 
pressure. The only difference between a full service and 
an emergency application, we get the brake applied a 
little quicker in the emergency, but not any harder. 

Q As the triple piston responds to a train pipe reduc- 
tion, and moves out bringing with it the slide valve, what 
slops it? A. The graduating stem. 

Q What holds the graduating stem to its place ? A. The 
graduating spring. 

Q. What tension has a freight graduating spring? A. 
About three pounds. 

Q Describe a freight graduating spring? A. It is 
made of piano spring steel or bronze wire, 16 coils, 23^ 
inch free heights, 29-62 inside diameter. 

Q. The graduating spring in a passenger triple is what? 
A. Is made of piano spring steel wire 48-1000 of an inch 
in diameter, 13 1^ coils — 234 free heights and 29-62 inside 
diameter with a tension of about 5 lbs. 

Q. Why is a passenger graduating spring heavier than 
a freight? A. On account of being used on short trains. 

Q. We say the knob on the triple piston came against 
the graduating stem and was stopped. How long will it 
remain there? A. Until the auxiliary pressure is slightly 
reduced below the train pipe pressure. 

Q. What occurs then? A. The piston moves back and 
seats the graduating valve. 

Q. What position is this? A. Lap position. 
Q. How far does the piston move before the graduating 
valve is seated? A. 3-16 of an inch. 

Q. Then if a 5-lb. train pipe reduction is made, how 
much air will pass from the auxiliary to the brake cylinder ? 
A. Slightly more than 5 lbs. 

Q. To make a further reduction of 5 lbs. what parts of 
the triple valve will move? A. The piston will move out 



?1 

against the graduating stem again taking- with it the 
graduating valve, and more air will flow from the auxiliary 
into the Lrake cylinder. 

Q How long can we gain brake cylinder pressure by 
making light reductions ? A. Until auxiliary and brake 
cylinder pressure equalize. 

Q. Then a further train pipe reduction would be what? 
A. Would only be a waste of air. 

Q. The amount of train pipe reduction required to set 
the brakes full depends on what? A. The piston travel. 

Q. With the Standard 8-inch piston travel, what train 
pipe reduction is necessary to cause an equalization of 
pressure and set the brakes full ? A. 20 lbs. 

Q. What reduction is required to set the brakes full with 
9-inch piston travel? .A. 25 lbs. 

Q. What will the auxiliary and brake cylinder pressure 
equalize at? A. 45 lbs. per square inch. 

Q. Why will the brake cylinder pressure be raised to an 
equalization of 50 lbs. from a 20 lb. reduction ? A. On 
account of the auxiliary reservoir being 21^ times the 
space in the brake cylinder with the proper piston travel? 

Q. What will a 6-inch piston travel equalize at? A. 52 
lbs. 

Q. Do we get any higher brake cylinder pressure from 
an emergency application than from a full service applica- 
tion, using plain triple valves? A. Not any higher, but 
a little quicker. 

QUICK ACTION TRIPLE VALVES. 

Q. What are the names of the quick action tripple valves, 
generally used ? A. F. 36. Small freight triple. H. 49 
large freight triple. F. 27 small passenger triple. F. 29 
large passenger triple. 

Q. How can we tell a freight from a passenger tripple? 
A. Freight triple has two exhaust ports; a passenger triple 
has but one. 

Q. How can we tell a large freight triple from a small 



32 

freight tripple, they being near the same size? A. The 
F. 36, the small freight triple has two bolt-holes in the 
supporting flange and is used on 6 and 8-inch brake cylinder. 
The H. 49, the large freight triple, has two exhaust ports, 
and three bolt-holes in the supporting flange used on 10 and 
12-inch brake cylinders. The F. 27 has one exhaust port 
and two bolt-holes in the supporting flange. The F. 29 has 
one exhaust port and three bolt holes in the supporting 
flange. The F. 27 and F. 29 are the small and large pas- 
senger triples. All quick action triples. 

Q, How many operative parts has a quick action triple 
valve? A. Six. — -> 

Q. How many operative parts has a quick action triple 
that are not in a plain triple? A. Three. 

Q. Name them. A. Emergency Piston, Emergency or 
rubber-seated valve and train pipe check valve. 

Q. Then the quick action triple has six operative parts? 
A. Triple piston, graduating valve, slide valve, emergency 
piston, emergency valve and train pipe check valve. 

Q. How many of these parts move in making a service 
application of the brake? A. Triple piston, graduating 
valve and slide valve. 

Q. Hew many of these parts are used in an emergency 
application of the brake? A. Five; the graduating valve 
is of no service in applying the brake in the emergency. 

Q, How many positions has the quick action? A. Four; 
the same as a plain triple. 

Q. Each operative part has a duty; the first three as 
explained in the plain triple. What s the duty of the 
emergency piston? A. To unseat the emergency or rub- 
ber-seated valve. 

Q What is the duty of the emergency valve? A. Its 
duty is to keep train pipe air out of the brake cylinder, 
when we want it out, and to let it in when we want it in. ' 

Q. The duty of the train pipe check valve? A. Its duty 
is *o prevent brake cylinder pressure from flowing into the 



33 

train pipe at any time when the train pipe pressure is 
below equalization, and in making an emergency applica- 
tion, the train pipe check valve should seat as quickly as 
the train pipe and brake cylinder pressure equalize. 

Q. We say emergency or rubber-seated valve, has the 
emergency valve a rubber-seat? A. Yes; it has a rubber 
seat. 

Q. How much higher brake cylinder pressure do we get 
with an emergency application than with a service applica- 
tion? A. 10 lbs. 

Q. In a full service application of the brake, we get an 
equalization of auxiliary pressure of 50 lbs. Where do we 
get the other 10 lbs? A. From the train pipe. 

Q. How dees it get into the brake cylinder? A. As the 
tripple piston moves the slide valve to emergency position, 
the removed corner of the slide valve uncovers the port 
leading down on top of the emergency piston and auxiliary 
air forces the emergency valve down from its seat the 
train pipe pressure will then lift the train pipe check valve 
and a flash of train pipe air will pass the train pipe check 
valve and emergency valve into the brake cylinder. 

Q. How long will trnin.pipe nir continue to flow into the 
brake cylinder? A. Until equalization occurs between the 
brake cylinder and train pipe pressures. 

I B .v ~ ! cng a tine is required for equalization? A. 
About three seconds to the 50th car in the train. 

Q Then we say we gel lbs. from the train pipe first; 
do we get auxiliary pressure in brake cylinder, too ? A. 
Yes; after getting 10 lbs. from the train pipe, wet get an 
equalization of auxiliary pressure from a 70-lb. pressure 
which builds the brake cylinder pressure to 60 lbs. per 
square inch 

Q. Then we get 60 lbs. brake cylinder pressure from a 
70 lbs. train pipe pressure; what do we get from a 110 
lbs. train pipe pressure? A. From 85 to 88 lbs. per square 
inch brake cylinder pressure. 



34 

Q. We say the train line check valve seats when train 
nove them to their normal position when equalization 
)ccurs between the auxiliary reservoir and brake cylinder. 

Q. How many ports are there in the slide valve? A. 
Two; the service and the emergency ports, 
ine and brake cylinder pressure equalize; where does the 
:mergency piston and emergency valve resume their normal 
position ? A. The spring- under the emergency valve will 

Q. Which of these ports is the larger? A. The service 
port. 

Q. Why is the emergency port smaller? A. To retard 
;he flow of auxiliary air, which gives the train pipe air 
i chance to get into the brake cylinder first in making an 
emergency application of the brakes. 

Q. How long will it take to charge an auxiliary reservoir 
ifrom to 70 lbs. with a constant train pipe pressure of 
70 lbs? A. From 1V 2 to 2 minutes. 

Q. Can 5 cars be charged as quickly as one? A. Yes. 

Q. Can 50 cars be charged as quickly as 5 cars? A. No; 
you cannot maintain the high train pipe pressure. If the 
pressure could be maintained on a 50-car train pipe, 50 cars 
could be charged as quickly as 5 cars. 

Q. Why does it take so long to charge an auxiliary? A. 
On account of the air having to pass through the small feed 
groove in the tripple bush. 

Q. Why is this groove made so small ? A. To cause a 
uniform recharge. 

Q. What size is the feed groove? A. Its the half of a 
circle of 148-1000 of an inch, and will feed at the rate of 1 
lb. per second from a 70 lbs. pressure. 

Q. What would be the effect of a leaky graduating valve ? 
A. With tripple on lap, a leaky graduating valve would 
raise the brake cylinder pressure to equalization. 

Q. What would be the effect of a leaky check valve? A. 
Brake would leak off if applied in the emergency. 



35 

K TRIPLE VALVE. 

Q. How can you tell a K triple valve from other triples? 
k. By the fine cast on the back of the triple. 

Q. Will a K triple work in harmony with other triple 
calves? A. Yes. 

Q. Are K triples used in passenger service? A. No; 
they are freight triples. 

Q. To what quick action triples may a K triple be sub- 
stituted? A. The K-l triple may take the place of an F- 
36 and the K-2 triple the place of an H-49. 

Q. By what other name are they known ? A. The H-l 
and H-2 

Q. How are we to know these triples apart, one from 
the other? A. A K-l has two bolt holes in the supporting 
flange, while the K-2 has three bolt holes in the support- 
ing flange. 

Q. Explain the difference? A. The F-36, K-l or H-l are 
small freight triples, each having two bolt holes in the 
supporting flange, used with the smaller freight auxiliary 
reservoir, and an 8-inch brake cylinder. The H-49, K-2 or 
H-2 has three bolt holes and may be used with the larger 
size auxiliaries and 10-inch brake cylinders. 

Q. How many operative parts has the K triple? A. 
Six, and retarding device. 

Q. Name them. A. Piston, graduating valve, slide valve, 
emergency piston, emergency valve and train pipe check 
valve. 

Q. How many positions has the K triple valve? A. 
Seven. 

Q. Name the positions? A. Release, retarded release, 
quick service, quick service lap, full service, full service 
lap and emergency. 

Q. What are the features claimed for the K triple over 
that of the quick action triple? A. Quick service, uniform 
release, uniform recharge and retaining feature. 

Q. Is there any difference between the K-l and the K-2 



36 

triple valves ? A. Yes • the K-l does not have the Port 
Y charging port; Port Y charging port is in K-2 triples 
only. 

Q. Explain how air passes through the K triple in full 
release position. A. The slide valve opens communication 
from the brake cylinder to the atmosphere, with a full 
exhaust and air passes through the feed groove from the 
train pipe to the auxiliary reservoir, and from the train 
pipe past the train line check valve, then through Prt Y 
and through a port in the slide valve into the auxiliary 
reservoir, thus feeding two ways- into the auxiliary. 

Q. In retarded release position? A. A groove bemg 
milled in the face of the slide valve, this groove being 
brought to register with the port leading from the brake 
cylinder to the atmosphere, thus the exhaust is retarded. 
While in this position the shoulder on the auxiliary side of 
the tripple piston is forming an air tight joint between the 
train pipe and the auxiliary. "In this shoulder is a smaller 

Q. Are quick action triples satisfactory on train of over 
50 cars? A. No. 

Q. Why? A. Too great a number of triples do not 
respond to a light reduction on a long train. 

Q. Will a greater per cent, of brakes be set with the K 
triples? A. Yes. 

Q. Why? A. As each K-2 triple vents train pipe air 
to the brake cylinder, this assists the train pipe reduction 
on the following triple. Hence the effect of a light re- 
duction will be greater on the rear of a long train than 
could be caused by the same train pipe reduction when 
equipped with the old style triples, and a greater number 
of brakes will be set. 

Q. In releasing the brakes on a 50-car train, about how 
many triples will go to retarded position? A. About 30. 

Q. What other advantage is there by a slow recharge on 
the triples that have gone to retarded release position? A. 
It causes a higher train pipe pressure to be built up on the 



37 

rear end of the train and insures a more prompt release 
of the brakes. 

Q. Why can the pressure not be raised on the rear end of 
a train as quickly as on the front end, having a large main 
reservoir volume? A. On account of the crooks and bends 
in the train pipe and hose connections which cause a fric- 
tional resistance. 

Q. Would the blow at the train pipe exhaust be as long 
with a train of K triples as with the old style triples? 
A. No; with the K triple each triple vents a portion of 
the train pipe air to the brake cylinder which will decrease 
the train pipe exhaust about one-half on a long train. 

Q. With an emergency application, what brake cylinder 
pressure do we get with the K triple? A. About 60 lbs. 
per inch. 

Q. Does the K triple apply the brake quicker and harder 
than the quick action triple? A. Yes; about 50 per cent 
quicker, and 30 per cent, harder from a high service re- 
duction. 

Q. How long a time is required to apply the brakes in 
the emergency on a train of 50 cars? A. About three 
seconds. 

Q. Can you release the brakes after an emergency ap- 
plication the same as after a service application? A. Yes; 
but owing to the low train pipe pressure, it will take 
longer. 

Q. Has the graduating spring the same strength as the 
retarding spring? A. No; the retarding spring is the 
heavier and stronger. 

K TRIPLE VALVE DEFECTS. 

Q. What is usually the cause of troublesome triples? 
A. Tripples become dirty or dry. 

Q. What effect will a leak in the auxiliary have? A. 
With brakes released it is a waste of air; with brakes 
applied it will release them. 

Q. If the emergency valve or train pipe check valve 



38 

gasket is leaking, will it cause a blow at the triple exhaust 
tvhile the brakes are applied? A. No. 

Q. What will such a leak cause? A. It will cause the 
brake cylinder pressure to build up to an equalization of 
train pipe pressure. 

Q. If an auxiliary leak causes a blow at the triple ex- 
haust, will it blow when the brakes are applied? A. 
A leaky slide valve will sometimes cause a blow when the 
brakes are applied, but a leaky gasket for an auxiliary tube 
will not cause a blow at the triple exhaust when the brakes 
are applied. 

Q. Why do some brakes not apply when a light reduc- 
tion is made? A. Some tripples being dirty or dry which 
causes undue friction, thus not being sensitive to a light 
reduction and the auxiliary pressure leaks back into the 
train pipe, or the brake cylinder piston may not be moved 
far enough to close the leakage groove. 

Q. What parts of a triple will cause an auxiliary leak? 
A. Body gasket, slide valve or auxiliary tube . 

Q. What will cause a train pipe leak through the triple 
valve? A. The train pipe check valve gasket or emergency 
valve. 

Q. If a blow occurs at the tripple exhaust, how can you 
tell if it is an auxiliary or a train pipe leak? A. By 
closing the cut-out cock and wait a moment. If the brake 
that is cut out applies of its own accord and the blow stops, 
it is a train pipe leak. But if the brake does not apply, it 
is an auxiliary leak and the blow will not cease. 

Q. Will a leaky auxiliary tube apply or release the 
brakes? A. It has a tendency to release the brakes. 

Q. Occasionally you notice a buzzing sound within 
a triple valve. What causes it? A. It is caused by the 
train pipe check valve lifting and seating in rapid suc- 
cession caused by an auxiliary leak or by the emergency 
valve being unseated. A jar on the side of the valve body 
will often seat the emergency valve and the noise will stop. 



39 

Q. What effect will a bad piston packing ring have? A. 
If the packing ring fits loosely in the bush, it has a tendency 
to not respond to a light reduction, back in a long train, or 
if applied, it may not release. 

Q. Is undesired quick action caused by dry or gummy 
tripples? A. Yes; a dry or gummy tripple is not sensitive, 
and a light reduction will only move the piston part way 
between release and service positions; then a second re- 
duction will cause a sufficient difference in pressure to move 
it, and it is forced to emergency position. 

Q. What effect would a broken or weak retarding spring 
have? A. It would allow the piston to go to retarded re- 
lease position every time the brakes were released, causing 
a very slow release of that brake 

Q. Why does the K triple go to full release sometimes 
and retarded release at other times? A. By building up 
the train pipe pressure slowly, the triple piston will stop 
in full release postion; but by building it up quickly, the 
piston will be forced to retarded release, position. 

Q. If you had an engine and a few cars doing some 
shifting work, how could you release the brakes promptly 
to make quick moves ? A. In releasing the brakes, move 
the brake valve handle to running position, not to release 
position. 

Q. How long does it take to charge an auxiliary reservoir 
vnth a K triple valve in retarded release position? A, 
About 250 seconds. 

Q. How long does it take with a K triple in full release 
position? A. About 70 seconds. 

PISTON TRAVEL. 

Q. What is the proper piston travel on cam driver brakes 
from Wz to 3 inches? A. Equalized driver brakes from 4 
to 6 inches, engine truck brake from 5 to 7 inches, tender 
brake from 6 to 9 inches, freight car 7 to 9 inches, pas- 
senger car (steel wheels) 6 to 9 inches, cast-iron wheels 
7 to 9 inches. The piston travel on freight cars by special 



40 

instructions, is 5 to 7 inches. 

Q. If the piston travel measures 8 inches standing, what 
will it measure running? A. 9% to 10 inches. 

Q. In applying the brakes having proper piston travel, 
what stops the brake cylinder piston from going against 
the cylinder head? A. The shoes against the wheels. 

Q. What stops the piston if it has a very long travel? 
A. The non-pressure head of the brake cylinder. 

Q. Would this be a holding brake? A. No; the shoes 
may not be couching the wheels. 

Q, Why is the leakage groove in a brake cylinder? A. To 
allow any air that may leak into the brake cylinder to 
escape by the piston and not set the brakes. 

Q. How long is the leakage groove? A. SV4, inches 

Q. If the brake piston only travels 3 inches, would this 
be a holding brake? A. No; the air would pass around the 
piston through the leakage groove, and the brake would 
not apply at all. 

HIGH SPEED BRAKE 

Q. What is meant by hingh speed braT^e? A. Higher 
pressure. 

Q. Is there any material change in the system required 
to get this high pressure? A. No. 

Q. How can we convert a low speed brake to a high speed 
brake? A. By setting the pump governor to carry 140 lbs. 
main reservoir pressure, set the feed valve to carry 110 
lbs., trainpipe pressure, and attach an automatic reducing 
valve to each brake cylinder. 

Q. What is understood by high speed brake? A. The 
primary feature is an emergency brake. 

In how much shorter distance can a train running 60 
miles per hour be stopped with a high speed brake than 
with a low speed brake? A. With an emergency applica- 
tion of a high speed brake, a swift running train can be 
brought to a stand still in about two-thirds of the dis- 
tance, or about 30 per cent quicker than with a low speed 



41 

brake. 

Q Has it any other advantage? A. \*3s; with 110 lbs. 
train pipe and auxiliary pressure, it enables two or three 
service applications without recharging*, and have auxil- 
iary pressure for an emergency application if desired. 

Q With a high speed brake what pressure do we get in 
the brake cylinder from an emergency application? A. 
With the proper piston travel we get 88 lbs. per inch. 

.) With a heavy application why do we get only 60 lbs. 
brake cylinder pressure? A. The automatic reducing value 
is set at 60 lbs. and will vent all pressure above 60 lbs. to 
the atmosphere. 

Q. Explain why a brake cylinder pressure of 88 lbs. per 
inch dees not slide the wheels? A. It is I'most impossible 
to slide a wheel revolving at high speed. The 88 lbs. pres- 
sure is applied when the speed is the highest as the speed 
is being reduced, As the speed is being reduced the re- 
ducing valve is also reducing the brake cylinder pressure; 
and as the friction is becoming greater between the shoe 
and the wheel, the speed and pressure are both reducing 
the train will stop with a 60-lb. brake cylinder pressure. 

Q. Do we get any higher brake cylinder pressure from 
a 10-lb. train pipe reduction, from a 110-lb. train pipe pres- 
sure than from a 70-lb. train pipe pressure? A. No; may 
get it quicker, but not heavier. You take a pound of sugar 
from a bucket — you have a pound. You take a pound of 
sugar from a barrel and you have just one pound. 

Q. Is the high speed used in all kinds of service? A. 
No; in passenger service only. 

Q. Why is the brake cylinder pressure not; reduced below 
60 lbs.? A. Because the automatic reducing valve is set 
at 60 lbs. 

Q. How long will it take the reducing valve to reduce the 
cylinder pressure from 88 to 60 lbs.? A. From 18 to 26 
seconds. 

Q. Is it a speed reducer or a time reducer? A. A time 



42 

reducer. 

Q. Are we allowed to use high pressure on engine ten- 
der or cars not equipped for it? A. No. 

Q. Could we use the emergency at low speed? A. No; we 
would slide the wheels, and sliding of wheels are not hold- 
ing wheels. We would get better results by making a ser- 
vice application. 

HIGH PRESSURE CONTROL 
(Or Schedule U.) 

Q. What is meant by high pressure control ? A. A sys- 
tem which can quickly be changed from iow to high pres- 
sure. 

Q. Is it a freight or passenger equipment ? A. For freight 
only, used on mountain, or on roads where very heavy 
loaded cars are taken down steep grades. A device designed 
especially for heavy trains. 

Q. May the modern brake be modified to be used as a 
schedule U? A. Yes. 

Q. What apparatus is necessary to attach to the modern 
brake to have a Schedule U ? A. Reversing cock and bracket, 
two feed valves, a duplex pump governor and a safety valve 
attached to each brake cylinder. 

Q. What pressures are used and how are they gained? 
Al. As each road may have a standard of its own, the pres- 
sures may vary; so we say we adjust one governor top to 
LOO lbs. and one feed valve to 70 lbs. This will be the con- 
nection for the lew pressure, with the reversing cock handle 
to the left. The other governor top we adjust to 130 lbs. 
and the other feed valve to 100 lbs. This is the connection 
for the high pressure with the reversing cock handle to 
the right, so you can quickly change the pressures from 
low to high, or from high to low. 

Q. How does it operate? A. On roads that are partly 
level and partly mountainous, carry the nandle of the re- 
versing cock to the left while running on the level. This 
will give you 100 lbs. main reservoir pressure and 70 lbs. 



43 

train pipe pressure. Before descending a grade (giving 
sufficient time to charge the auxilliaries ^rom 70 to 100 
lbs.), turn the handle of the reversing cueK to the right. 
This will cut out the low pressure governor top and low 
pressure feed valve, and cut in the high pressure gover- 
nor and feed valve. This will give you a main reservoir 
aressure of 130 lbs. and a train pipe pressure of 100 lbs. 

Q. How can the two feed valves be attached to the 
Drake valve? A. The two feed valves are atached to the 
reversing cock bracket and piped to bracket attached to 
:he brake valve. 

Q. By changing the reversing cock, does it change the 
feed vslve? A. It changes from one to the other. 

Q. Does the Schedule U require any change in the equip- 
ment on the cars? A. No. 

Q. What would happen if the reversing cock should leak? 
A.. The pressures would vary and interfere with the use 
5f the brake. 

Q. Is there danger of heating the tire or sliding wheel s 
when the brake cylinder pressure is built up high? A. No; 
Ihe safety valve attached to the brake cylinder will take 
care cf the high pressure. 

Q. If you have a few light cars in the train would you 
use the high pressure on them, or would you use the low 
pressure? A. Cut the brakes out on the light cars and use 
the high pressure. 

Q. Can the high pressure control, or Schedule U be used 
on any railroad? A. Yes; and it is speedily being adopted 
by the various railroads throughout the country. 
RETAINING VALVES. 

Q Why are retaining valves used? A. ^o retain a cer- 
tain amount of pressure in the brake cylinders while re- 
charging the auxilliary reservoirs when decending heavy 
grades. 

Q. Has the retaining valve any other features? A. It 
gives increased brake cylinder pressure higher braking 



44 

r>ower and insures more safety in handling trains on heavy 
grades. 

Q. To what is the retaining valve attached? A. Attached 
to a pipe leading from the exhaust port of the triple 
valve. 

Q Where is it located? A. At the end of a car near the 
brake wheel. 

Q Why is it located there? A. For convenience to train- 
men. 

Q How many styles of retaining valves are in general 
use? A. Two. 

Q Nrma ham. A. The two position, 15"' retainer and 
the three position, 25 and 50" retainer. 

Q When the handle of the 15-lb. retainer stands hori- 
zontal, what number of pounds will it retain in the brake 
cylinder from a full service application of the brake? 
A. Id lbs. 

Q. W^hat sized brake cylinders is the 15-lb. retainer used 
with? A. 6, 8 and 10-inch cylinders. 

Q. What sized cylinders is the 25 and 50-lb. | retainer 
used with? A. 10, 12, 14 and 16-inch cylinders. 

Q. What grade should the 50-lb. retainer be used on? 
A. On grades of not les that 2%% and then on heavily 
loaded cars only. 

Q. Are there any grades on the main line of the Pitts- 
burgh division of the P. R. R. where 50-lb. retainers could be 
used? A. Between Gallitzin and Altoona, on the east slope 
of the Alegheny mountains. 

Q. Are there any branches belonging to the Pittsburgh 
division where 50-lb. retainers could be utsed? A. Dunlo to 
Lovett, Salix to Lovett, and on the Brilliant and Yougb 
branches. 

Q. How does a retaining valve operate? A. With a 
handle turned down, there is a clear exhaust through the 
retainer, and air from the brake cylinder can pass freely 
to the atmosphere. 



45 

Q. When the handle is turned up, does the air 
through a larger or smalled port? A. Through a smaller 
port. 

Q Where is the escape port located? A. In the retainer 
cap. 

Q. Is the escape port of the same size in all retainers? 
A. No; the 15-lb. retainer escape port is 1-16 of an inch 
in diameter. The 25 and 50-inch retainer has a 1-8 inch 
port. 

Q.. With these small escape ports, to make a full service 
application and release, how long will it take for the brake 
cylinder pressure to reduce down to the limit of the 
weighted valve? A. From 30 to 50 seconds. 

Q. With a 3-position retaining valve, how must the handle 
be to retain a 25-lb. pressure in the braise cylinder? A. 
Horizontal; an angle of 90%. 

Q. To retain a 50-lb. brake cylinder pressure? A. Half 
way — an angle of 45%. 

Q. To apply the brakes, turn up the handle of the re- 
tainer, then release the brakes; in a few minutes, turn the 
handle down. But you hear no exhaust iV.in the retainer. 
What is the trouble ? A. A leak in the brake cylinder or re- 
tainer pipe. 

Q. On what class of cars does this most frequently occur ? 
A. On refrigerators where salt water comes in contact 
with the retainer pipe. 

Q. If with the handle turned down the brakes fail to re- 
lease, where would you look for the trouble? A. The ex- 
haust port in the retainer may be stopped up. 

Q. If there is a constant leak at the retainer, where would 

you find the cause? A. In the triple valve — the emergency 

valve being unseated — leaky slide valve or leaky gasket, 

either of these would cause a leak at the retaining valve. 

AIR SIGNAL SYSTEM 

Q. How many pipe lines are there on a passenger car? 
A. Two. 



46 

Q. What line of pipes are they? A. Train and signa 
iipe. 

Q. Are these pipe lines the same size? A. No; the trair. 
is P4 inch, and the signal is 7-8 of an inch. 

Q. Why is the signal pipe the smaller? A. It carries a 
smaller volume of air, and a blast from Uie car discharge 
valve will make a more sudden reduction than if the vol- 
ume was larger. 

Q. Are there any cut-out cocks located in the signal pipe? 
A. Yes; one at each end of the car. 

Q. What kind of cut-out cocks are they? A. Straight, 
plug cocks. 

Q. What pressure is carried in the signal pipe? A. 40 
lbs. 

Q. What pressure is the 40-lbs. taken from? A. From 
main reservoir pressure. 

Q. What kind of a valve is used to reduce this pressure 
to 40 lbs.? A. A reducing valve; sometimes a C-6 reducing 
valve is used. 

Q. Where is the reducing valve located ? A. Usually in- 
side of cab to protect it in winter. 

Q. Will a reducing valve freeze up? Why? A. The re- 
ducing valve being located near the main reservoir where 
moisture is likely to work into it, it is liable to freeze up in 
severe winter weather. 

Q. Are there any other valves used on the signal system ? 
A. Yes; the signal valve and car discharge valve. 

Q. Where is the signal valve located? A. Uusally in- 
side of the engine cab. 

Q. Where is the car discharge valve located? A. Above 
the door under the hood. 

Q. What is the duty of the signal valve? A. It controls 
the flow of air to the whistle. 

Q. How many operative parts has it? A. Two; a rubber 
diaphragm and signal valve stem. 

Q. Describe the operation of the signal valve. A. Air 



47 

passes in at the top of the signal valve through a small 
port into Chamber A, above the diaphragm. Air also passes 
through a pasage in the body of the valve into Chamber 
B under the diaphragm. Chamber B has a larger volume 
than Chamber A. The signal valve is sealed. The valve 
stem is a neat fit for 1-32 of an inch only ai the top. The 
balance of the stem is milled out. The signal valve being 
charged up a reduction in Chamber A will allow Chamber 
B volume to raise the diaphragm which will unseat the 
valve stem, and air from chambers A and B will flow to 
the whistle and cause it to sound. 

Q. What causes the whistle to stop sounding? A. The 
same reduction that caused the whistle to sound caused 
the reducing valve to open, and the signal pipe is recharged 
which forces the diaphragm down ad seats the signal valve, 
thus cutting off the flow of air from the whistle. 

Q. If with the signal pipe charged at 40 lbs., but there 
is no air in the signal valve, where would you look for the 
trouble? A. The small port in the top of the signal valve 
is stopped up with dirt. 

Q. If the signal valve is charged, but the whistle will not 
sound, where is the trouble? A. The trouble is in the whis- 
tle. It may not be properly adjusted; something may be 
obstructing it, or a strong draft of air may be striking it. 

Q. If the conductor opens the discharge valve twice, 
and the whistle sounds but once, what is the trouble? A. 
The diaphragm stem is too neat a fit. 

Q. If the conductor opens the discharge valve once, and 
the whistle sounds twice, where is the trouble? A. The 
diaphragm stem is too loose. 

Q. If the conductor opens the discharge valve on the 
5 car, but the whistle will not respond, he goes to the first 
sar, opens that discharge valve and the whistle will sound, 
what is wrong now? A. A baggy diaphragm in the signal 
/alve. 

Q. While riding in a passenger car you see the con- 



48 

ductor pull the signal cord, at the first puli you hear a 
strong blast of air at the valve; at the second pull the 
blast is small, at the third pull there is no blast. What is 
the trouble? A. The strainer at the union of the signal 
pipe and branch pipe is almost closed. 

Q. Will the whistle sound? A. No. 

Q, Why? A. There has been no signal pipe reduction. 

Q. If when releasing the brakes the whistle sounds, 
what causes it? A. The reducing valve is set too high. 
The signal pipe is overcharged. 

Q. While the engine is standing alone and occasion 
you hear a blast of the whistle, what is causing it ? A. Leaks 
in the signal line. 

Q, Is there a cut-out cock in the reducing valve? A. 
Yes; the main reservoir pressure may be cux, away from the 
signal system. 

Q. If you couple to a train, and in due time the inspector 
tells you there is no air coming back through the signal 
line, what would you do? A. Uncouple the signal hose 
between the tender and the first car. If there is no air 
pasing back through the signal pipe or tenuer, the cut-out 
cock in the reducing valve may be closed; but if the cut- 
cut cock is found to be open, stop the pump, drain thet main 
reservoir, uncouple the feed pipe to the reducing valve and 
you will find the feed port in the reducing- valve is closed 
with dirt. 

Q Hew many pipes lead from the signal pipe on an en* 
gine? A. One, which leads to the signal valve. 

Q, How many pipes lead off on a car? A. One, which 
leads to the car discharge valve. 

Q Is there a cut-out cock in the pipe leading to the signal 
valve? A. No. 

Q is there a cut-out cock in the pipe leading to the car 
discharge valve? A. Yes. 

Q. Name the operative parts of a car discharge valve. 
A. Discharge valve, spring and handle. 



49 

Q. How does it operate? A. The rope is atached to the 
handle; by pulling the discharge valve is unseated which al- 
lows signal pipe air to escape to the atmosphere, thus 
causing a reduction in the signal pipe. 

Q. How should the car discharge valve be operated? A. 
Pull the cord for one second; then let it be closed for three 
seconds before pulling it again. 

Q. Why let it be closed for three seconds between pulls? 
A. To allow the pressure to be equalized. 
SIGNALS. 

Q. What kind of signals are these? A. Communicating 
signals. 

Q. What does one blast of the whistle mean while the 
train is running? A. There is a brake sticking on the 
train. 

Q. Two blasts while standing? A. To start. 

Q. Two blasts while running? A. Stop ax once. 

Q. Three blasts while running? A. Stop at next station. 

Q. Three blasts while standing? A. Back the train. 

Q. Four blasts while running? A. Reduce speed. 

Q. Four blasts while standing? A. Apply the brakes; if 
rpplied, release them. 

Q. Five blasts while running? Increase speed. 

Q. Five blasts while standing? A. Call the flag. 

Q. When ready to leave a terminal and you would receive 
two blasts of the whistle, would you start? A. No; not until 
I would receive a hand signal from the crew. 

Q. While running along and the whistle sounds occasion- 
ally, what is causing it? A. There is a leak in the signal 
line, and when striking a curve or bad track this leak will 
increase sufficiently to make a sudden reduction and the 
whistle will sound. 

Q. If when coupled to a very short train, say, two cars, 



50 

and a reduction is made from the second car and the whis- 
tle will sound, but to couple a few more care on the whistle 
will not sound, if tried from the car, where is the trouble? 
A. There is a very loose stem or a baggy diaphragm in the 
signal valve. By coupling on more cars increased the volume 
of the signal pipe, which lightens the reduction and a baggy 
diphragm will not lift the stem from its seat, and no air 
can get to the whistle. 

Q. What effect will a leaky signal system have? A. It 
will be a waste of air; cause the whistle to mane undesirable 
sounds and overwork the pump. 

DOUBLE HEAD WITH G-6 BRAKE VALVE. 

Q. What is the rule for double-heading when two or more 
engines are coupled together? A. The leading engine must 
handle the brake. 

Q. What must be done with all other engines except the 
one handling the brake ? A. Close the cut-out cock to pre- 
vent the main reservoir air from going into the train pipe 
and releasing the brakes. 

NOTE— The Westinghouse cut-out cock is 
a plain cock located in the train pipe under 
the automatic brake valve; but the P. R. 
R. cut- out cock is located in the supply 
pipe from the main reservoir to the auto- 
matic brake valve. 

Q. Has the P. R. R. cut-out cock any advantage over the 
Westinghouse cut-out cock? A. Yes. 

Q. Explain. A. The Westinghouse cut-out cock when it 
is turned to No. 2 position, the brakes can neither be ap- 
plied or released from that engine. 

Q. What pressure does it divide? A. It blanks the train 
pipe and no air can be put into the train pipe from the main 
reservoir on that engine. Neither can there be a train pipe 
reduction made by the brake valve on that engine. 

Q. Explain the P. R. R. cut-out cock. A. It is located in 
the main reservoir pipe and in No. 2 position; it divides the 



51 

main reservoir and train pipe pressures. 

Q. What pressure seats the rotary? A. Train pipe pres- 
sure. 

Q. How does train pipe pressure get on top of the rotary 
valve? A. By way of the circulation pipe. 

Q. Then with the cut-out cock in No. 2 position, ports are 
closed from where to where? A. From the main reservoir 
to the brake valve, and from the train pipe exhaust to the 
atmosphere. 

Q. With the Westinghouse cut-out cock in No. 2 position, 
can the brake be applied from the engine cut-out? A. No. 

Q. Can the brake be released ? A. No. 

Q. What pressure seats the rotary? A. Main reservoir 
pressure. 

Q. Would you keep the pump working? A. Yes. 

Q. Why would you keep the* pump working? A. To be 
ready in case something should occur to the lead engine. You 
would te rerdy to cut in and take the brake. 

Q. With the P. R. R. cut-out cock in No. 2 position, can 
the brakes be applied? A. Yes; in the emergency only. 

Q. Can the brakes be released after such an application? 
A. No; not from the second engine, the one cut out, but 
the brakes may be released from the lead engine. 

Q. In applying the brakes in this way, m which position 
would you leave the brake valve handle? A. In emergency 
position. 

Q How long would you leave it there? A. Until the train 
steps. 

Q, Then where would you move it to ? A. Co running posi- 
tion. 

Q. Suppose you would leave it in emergency position, 
what would occur? A. There would be a strong blow at the 
straight exhaust while the engineer on the lead engine was 
trying to release the brakes. 

Q Would he get the brakes released? A. Not until you 
would change your brake valve handle to some other posi- 



52 

tion which should be running position. 

Q. If the second engine in double header had neither 
Westinghouse or P. R. R. cut-out cock, how would you 
double-head? A. Keep pump working and lap the brake 
valve. 

Q. If by mistake you would move the brake valve handle 
to running position, what would happen? A. In a service 
reduction the brakes would not apply at all, because the 
second engine would be recharging the train pipe through 
Port B in the feed valve as fast as the lead engine would 

Q. Would this be considered safe? A. No. 

Q. How would you do to be safe? A. Insert a blind gas- 
ket in union under the brake valve. 

Q. And keep the pump working? .A. Yes; to keep the ro- 
tary seated. 

Q. Then when two or three engines are coupled to a train, 
the cut-out cocks must be closed on all engines except the 
lead engine. Why? A. To give the man on the lead engine 
full control of the brakes. 

Q. In which position should you carry the handle of a 
brake valve when cut out with the P. R. R. cut-out cock? 
A. In running position. 

Q. Why? A. So as the train pipe pressure will register 
on the gauge, then you can tell what tram pipe pressure 
is carried and what reductions are being made. 

Q. If the pump on the second engine was not working, 
would it make any difference in handling tne brake ? A. No. 

Q. We say train pipe pressure seats the rotary when 
using P. R. R. cut-out cock? A. Yes. 

Q. Where does this train pipe pressure come from? A. 
From the lead engine. Passes through the circulation pipe 
to the top of the rotary. 

Q. Would it make any difference if we carried the brake 
handle in release position? A. The only difference there 
would be is that the warning port is open to the atmos- 
phere in release position, and this would cause a train pipe 



53 

leak. 

Q. How could we arrange to double head with an engine 
equipped with the old style three way cock? A. Lap the 
three way cock and close the small plug cock in the gauge 
pipe. 

Q. If cut-out cock is in No. 2 position and the pump fails 
to work, what will we do? A. Shut the steam off of the 
pump and go ahead. 

Q. If the second engine has no cut-out cock, and the 
pump fails to work, what will we do? A. Put blind gasket 
in union of main reservoir pipe at brake valve. 

Q. How would we carry the brake valve? A. In running 
position. 

Q. Now what pressure seats the rotary valve? A. Train 
pipe pressure. 

Q. How does train pipe pressure get to the top of the 
rotary valve? A. With the brake valve handle in running 
position, train pipe air can leak back up through the feed 
valve and reach the top of the rotary valve. 
HANDLING TRAINS 

G-6 Brake Valve With and Without Straight Air 

Q. How would you make station stops? A. Would make 
a two application stop, if possible. 

Q. Why is a two application stop better than a one appli- 
cation stop ? A. With a two application, there is less danger 
of sliding wheels; can make a more accurate stop, and it 
overcomes the undesirable lurch of the train when the trucks 
are righting themselves. 

Q. What do we mean by one application? A. From the 
time the brakes are applied until they are released regard- 
less of the number of reductions used to apply them, is one 
application. To release and apply them again is the second 
application. 

Q. In making a two-application stop, wny do we lap the 
brake valve after releasing the first application ? A. By lap- 
ping the brake valve, the train pipe is prevented from being 



54 

overcharged. 

NOTE — On a passenger train carrying 
110 lbs. train pipe pressure, for the first - ... 

application we reduce the train pipt; pres- 
sure to 95, possibly to 92 lbs. which is ample 
pressure to bring any train to a standstill. 
By lapping the brake valve only holds what 
pressure we have, and does not recharge the 
train pipe. By so doing, the brakes will re- 
spond and set quickly on the second applica- 
tion. 
Q. What would you consider a safe reduction for the 
first application, the train moving at 50 or 60 miles per 
hour? A. A train traveling at high speed, a reduction of 
15 to 18 lbs, would be safe for the first one. 

Q. How low a speed would you bring the train to before 
releasing this application? A. That depends on the length 
of the train. With a short train, you may release at slow 



Q. Explain clearly how a two application passenger stop 
should be made ? A. The first application should be made far 
enough away from the station that if allowed to remain 
it would stop the train before it would reach the desired 
point when the speed is reduced according to the length of 
the train; release the first application and bring the brake 
valve handle to lap position. Leave it there until the second 
application is desired, then begin by making a 5-lb. reduc- 
tion, followed by light reduction of two to three lbs. each, 
until the train is stopped at the desired spot. With less 
than nine cars the brake should be released just as the train 
stops. With nine or more cars the brakes should be held 
applied until the train has come to a full stop. 

Q. In handling freight trains, what would the first reduc- 
tion be? A. From 5 to 7 pounds. 

> Q. In releasing the brakes on a long freight train, how 
long should the brake valve be left in release position? A. 



55 

The brake valve handle should be left in release position 
until the main reservoir and train pipe pointers on gauge 
register together and both rise above 70 depending on cir- 
cumstances. Good judgment must be used. 

Q. Why must we hold the brakes applied on a long train 
until it is brought to a standstill? A. On account of the 
slack in a long train. 

Q. Should the straight air brake be used on releasing 
the brakes on a long train? A. Yes; the straight air brake 
shorl ] b before releasing the automat- 

It will keep the slack bunched and save drawheads and 
breaking trains. 

Q. At what speed would it be safe to release the brakes 
on a 50-car train? A. If the engine be equipped with a 
straight air brake, not under 15 or 18 miles per hour. 

Q. What speed would be safe to release ai on a 25-car 
train? A. With straight air brake 6 to 8 miles per hour. 
Without the straight air brake, 12 miles per hour. 

Q. If applying the brakes in full service and you found 
you was going to run past the mark, would you go to the 
emergency position? A. Yes, there may be some brakes 
partly leaked off on account of bad cylinders, or bad pack- 
ing leathers. We may get more braking power out of them 
by going to the emergency position. 

Q. How can we tell if the auxiliaries are charged? A. 
Lap the brake valve and watch if the train pipe pointer 
drops back. If it stops, the auxiliaries are charged to the 
figures it points to. But if it continues to drop back it de- 
notes train pipe leaks. 

Q. To make a 10-lb. reduction and lap the brake valve, 
and the train pipe exhaust continues to blow, where is the 
trouble? A. There is a leak in the equalizing pressure 
somewhere, or the equalizing discharge valve may be seated 
on dirt. 

Q. If there is dirt on the seat of the equalizing dis- 
charge valve seat, how may it be dislodged? A. With a P. 



56 

R. R. cut-out cock, close the angle cock at rear of the ten- 
der; place brake valve in release position. With Westing- 
house cut-out cock, close the cut-out cock instead of the 
angle cock as with the P. R. R. cut-out cock and place 
the brake valve handle in release position. This will cause 
the train pipe pressure to be built up quickly and lift the 
equalizing piston and blow the dirt from its seat. 

Q. On applying the brakes, we get the proper blow from 
the preliminary exhaust, but the train pipe pointer on the 
gauge don't drop and get no blow at the train pipe exhaust. 
Where is the trouble? A. The body gasket may be leaking 
air into the equalizing pressure, or the packing ring on the 
equalizing piston may be leaking train pipe air up into 
Chamber D as fast as we can get it out through the 
preliminary exhaust port. 

Q. If we could not get the equalizing piston to lift by 
reason of the preliminary exhaust port being stopped up, 
«r for any other cause, how could we apply the brake? 
A. By going carefully to the emergency position. 

Q. Are there any rules by which we may calculate the 
brake cylinder pressure by a given train pipe reduction? 
A. About the best rule to calculate from is 2Vz to 1, with the 
proper piston travel, we say one pound reduction from the 
train pipe will develope 2% lbs. in the brake cylinder. It is 
not claimed that this is a precise rule, but it is a quick 
calculation. 

Q. Why will one pound reduction make 2% lbs. in the 
brake cylinder? A. Because with the standard piston 
travel, the space in the brake cylinder is 2% times smaller 
than the space in the auxiliary. 

Q. Will the first 5 lbs. reduction give any braking 
power? A. No; it takes 5 lbs. to force the atmosphere pres- 
sure out of the brake cylinder compress the release spring, 
and drive the pistons out to bring the shoes up against 
the wheels. 

Q. Will we proceed to calculate brake cylinder pressure 



57 

acording to train pipe reductions made? A. Yes. 

Q. To attach to the brake cylinder a gauge, then make a 
5-lb. reduction, would the gauge show any brake cylinder 
pressure? A. No. 

Q. Why? A. 'the gauge is so constructed as to not regis- 
ter any pressure under atmosphere pressure. 

Q. To make another 5-lb. reduction, what will the gauge 
register? A. 10x2 V 2 -25 lbs. 

Q. Another 5-lb. reduction? A. 15x2 1 / 2 -37 1 / 2 lbs. 

Q. Another 5-lb reduction— 20 lbs in all? A. 20x2 V 2 -50 lbs. 

Q. When 50 lbs. per square inch is obtained in the brake 
cylinder, what do we call it? A. Equalization of pressures. 

Q. Why? A. Because the auxiliary pressure has been 
reduced to 50 lbs. and the brake cylinder pressure has 
been built up to 50 lbs. 

Q. How do all of the pressures stand with the brakes 
applied full? A. 

Atmosphere 14 7-10 

Main Reservoir 100 

Equalizing Reservoir 50 

Train Pipe 50 

Auxiliary Reservoir 50 

Brake Cylinder 50 

Q. What are the rules in handling trains on descending 
grades? A. Must be handled by air brakes assisted by 
enough hand brakes to insure safe movement. 

Q. Who is responsible for making tests on trains ? A. The 
conductor, engineman and brakeman. 

Q. After the brakes have been tested what must be done ? 
A. Slack must not be taken up with the hand brakes, there is 
danger of shortening the piston travel too much and the 
piston would not clear the leakage groove and the brake 
could not be applied. 

Q. How must the hand brakes be manipulated on a de- 
descending grade? A. So as to control tne speed of the 
train when a full application of the air brakes will not be 



58 

required, thus leaving reserve power within the engineer's 
control. 

Q If, after starting down the grade me engineer dis- 
covers the hand brakes arranged for, is not sufficient, how 
can he make it known to the crew? A. Call for brakes. 

Q. If a few more hand brakes prove to be unsufficient, 
then what? A. Call for brakes again. 

Q. What should the flagman do? A. Gradually open the 
angle cock on the rear end of the rear car. 

Q. Should the angle cock be closed after the reduction 
has been made? A. No, leave it open. 

Q. What should the engineer do? A. Make a full appli- 
cation of the brakes; stop , and make safe arrangements 
to proceed. 

Q. How would you leave a car standing on a siding? A. 
Secured by hand brakes. 

Q. On descending a grade which hand should be used? 
A. Those working with the air and the brakes working 
against the air must not be touched if the engineer has 
called for brakes. 

Q. How many retaining valves should *oe used descend- 
ing a long grade of 2 per cent. A. All of them. 

Q. Before starting to descend a long steep grade, what 
auxiliary pressure would you use to test the brakes ? A. 
Not less than 95 lbs per sq. in. 

Q. If after making a test at the top of a long steep grade 
you should be detained for a time, would you test the brakes 
again before you start? A. Yes, a road test. 

Q. Why ? A. To know for certain that the brake has not 
been tampered with and will respond when needed. 

Q. Who arranges for the number of hand brakes to be 
used in addition to the power brakes, on descending long 
steep grades A. The engineer and the conductor. 

Q. On descending long heavy grades of 2 per cent and 
over, where should the handle of the brake valve be carried ? 
A. In release position. 



59 

Q. How should the engineer manipulate the brakes on 
such grades? A. So at to not reduce the train pipe pres- 
sure below 65 lbs. 

Q. What is the running time on the eastern slope of the 
Allegheny mountains. A. 43 minutes. "AR" to "SF" 7 
minutes, "SF" to "AG" 10 minutes; "AG" to ' KN" 10 min- 
utes, "KN" to "GY" 8 minutes; "GY" to "BO" 8 minutes. 

Q At the foot of a long steep grade, what must the 
engineer and the train crew do ? A. When arriving at the 
foot of a hill and the engineer has the train under control 
so as to handle it safely with air brakes alone, he will 
whistle off brakes, the train men will then release all re- 
taining valves and hand brakes beginning at the rear end, so 
as to keep the slack bunched until the brakes have all 
been released. 

Q. After applying the brakes with a 20-lb. reduction, how 
would we release and put 20 lbs. in the brake cylinder? 
A. Place brake valve handle in release position until train 
pipe pointer raises to a few pounds above 70, then bring the 
handle to lap position. In 7 seconds from the time you went 
to release position, leave lap position and blow your train 
line pressure down about 4 lbs. below where you released at. 
For instance, you have a 70-lb. train pipe pressure. You 
blow down 20 lbs. to set the brakes, leaving 50 lbs. in train 
pipe. Now say we go to release position for two seconds — 
one second to go from release to lap, four seconds to stay 
on lap, then blow down to 46. 

Q. Whyis this A. The feed port in the triple bush is 
of a size to feed one pound per second from a 70-lb. train 
pipe pressure. Allowing a little variation to consume seven 
seconds in releasing the auxiliary will recharge 5 lbs. Then 
by blowing the train pipe pressure down to where you re- 
leased at, this will take the 5 lbs. out of tne auxiliary and 
puts it in the brake cylinder. This brings the piston out and 
the shoes against the wheels. Then to reduce the train pipe 
pressure 4 lbs. more will give 20 lbs. brake cylinder pres- 



60 

sure. 

Q. We make a 5-lb. reduction to bring- the pistons out and 
shoes against the wheels. Then we want to put 10 lbs. in the 
brake cylinder. How much further reduction would we have 
to make? A. Two pounds. 

Q. We make a 10-lb. reduction. How can we release and 
bring the pistons out, the shoes against the wheels and 

Q. What is the size of the preliminary exhaust port? A. 
5-64 of an inch in diameter. 

Q. If this little pert should become stopped up with dirt, 
could we apply the brake in service? A. Yes; by going 
very carefully into the emergency position. 

Q. What kind of an application would we call this ? A. 
Leaking the brakes on. 

Q. If while running along, say, for 6 or 8 miles per hour 
and something should occur that you would want to make a 
quick stop, would you apply the brakes in the emergency? 
A. No; by applying the brakes in the emergency at low 
speed will slide the wheels, and sliding wheels will not 
hold. You will get better results by applying the brakes in 
service in this case. 

Q. When coupled to a long train you apply the brakes 
and you notice the blow at the train pipe exhaust ceases 
about the time you lap the brake valve, what does it indi- 
cate ? A. A very short train pipe. The angle cock on the rear 
of the tender may be closed. 

Q. With a light engine to release the brakes, you get a 
blow at the train pipe exhaust. Why is this? A. The train 
pipe being short and placing the brake valve handle in re- 
lease position charges the train pipe quicker than the equal- 
izing reservoir. Hence the train pipe pressure lifts the equal- 
izing piston, causing the blow. 

Q. What does it depend on as to the length of time it re- 
quires to charge a 50-car train? A. It depends on the ca- 
pacity of the main reservoir train pipe leakage and the con- 
dition and capacity of the pump. 



(1 

AUTOMATIC SLACK ADJUSTER 

Q. What is the slack adjuster for? A To retain a uni- 
form piston travel. 

Q. To what is it attached? A. To the pressure head of 
the brake cylinder and dead lever. 

Q. What pressure operates it? A. Br?»ke cylinder pres- 
sure. 

Q. How is it operated by brake cylinder pressure? A. 
Pipe is atached to the brake cylinder a* a point the pis- 
ton reaches when uniform piston travel is attained which 
will be a little more than 8 inches from the pressurehead 
of the brake cylinder. The other end of the pipe is attach- 
ed to the adjuster cylinder. 

Q. What should be done with a car equipped with a slack 
adjuster? A. When new wheels are put in and new shoes 
put on, the slack should be taken up to a 6-inch piston 
travel by means of the dead lever and rod connections and 
not meddled with afterwards. 

Q. How does the slack adjuster operate? A. As the 
shoes wear and rigging and trucks attain lost motion, the 
piston travel will become longer when the 
a travel of 8 '6-8 inches, the packing leather passes the 
port in the side of the brake cylinder and brake cylinder 
pressure passes through the connecting pipe to the adjustor 
cylinder, forces the adjuster piston back and seats the 
pawl in the second notch in the ratchet wheel. When the 
brakes are released the adjustor spring returns the ad- 
justor to its normal position which turns the adjusting 
screw until the shoulder of the pawl strikes the jamb and 
unhooks. 

Q. How much is the leverage shortened by each opera- 
tion of the adjustor? A. About 1-32 of an inch. 

MISCELLANEOUS— SPECIAL EXAMINATION 
Questions on the Qu r ck Action Brake. 

Q. In making a terminal test, what should the inspector 
observe as he goes over the train? A. The inspector must 



62 

see that all angle cocks are open except the one on the rear 
of the last car in the train. Look for leaks and defects, 
and notice if each piston is out and how far on releasing. 
The inspector will go back over the train and see if all 
brakes have released properly, and notify the engineer 
personally of the number of cars in the train, number of 
brakes cut out, and how many brakes are in good working 
order. 

Q. If you fail to have 85% of the brakes working, would 
you proceed with what you have? A. No. 

Q. What is to be done in this case? A.^The conductor 
will report the conditions to the Division Superintendent 
and be governed by his orders. 

Q. Would you not recognize an order issued by the Yard 
Master? A. I would not recognize an order issued by any 
one except the superintendent. 

Q. A passenger engine is disabled, cuts off and leaves 
the train. You couple to train with freight engine, then you 
will have a high speed brake on the train and a low speed 
brake on the engine. How would you arrange to leave 
with the least delay posible? A. Couple engine on to train; 
make a 10-lb. reduction; lap the brake valve and leave it 
it there; couple hose and open angle cocks. That is all you 
have to do. There will be a strong blow at the train pipe 
exhaust and a strong blow at the automatic reducing valve 
on each car. But let them blow; they will take care of 
themselves, and when the blows cease, release the brakes 
and go ahead. 

Q. How long a time will it require to do this? A. After 
the engine is coupled to the train, from one to two minutes. 

Q. Explain what causes the blow at the train pipe ex- 
haust and at the reducing valve? A. The idea is to get rid 
of the high pressure in the train. After making a 10-lb. 
reduction leaving 60 lbs. in the train pipe on engine and 
tender, then to open the angle cock when the high pressure 
in the train will rush forward and lift the equalizing piston 



63 

and escape to the atmosphere through the train pipe ex- 
haust, causing a strong blow when the angle cock is open- 
ed, the brakes on the train apply in the emergency. The 
high auxiliary pressure flows into the brake cylinder and 
compresses the spring of the reducing valve, and the brake 
cylinder pressure flows through the reducing valve, caus- 
ing a blow there; so when the blow stops, you have 60 lbs. 
throughout the train pipe, 60 lbs. in the auxiliary and 60 
lbs. in the brake cylinder, with 40 lbs. excess pressure in the 
main reservoir to release the brakes with . 

Q. With the E-T equipment, what causes the blow at the 
straight exhaust when the brakes are applied from the 
train by opening an angle cock, or bursting a hose? A. 
When the brakes apply from the train, the brake valves 
are in running position. The reduction on the face of the 
equalizing piston in the distributing valve causes it to move 
the operative parts of the equalizing portion, and air is 
taken from the pressure chamber into the application cham- 
ber. Both brake valves being in running position it is free 
to flow from the application chamber to the atmosphere 
by way of release pipe, independent and automatic brake 
valve. Hence the blow occurs at the preliminary or straight 
exhaust of the automatic brake valve. 

Q. Why is a feedpipe in a triple valve made so small? 
A. To cause a uniform recharge of the auxiliaries. 

Q. Why not make the feed port larger? A. To make the 
feed pert larger would be detrimental in inree ways: First 
■ — If the feed port was too large, the front auxiliaries 
would be charged first, then while the auxiliaries on the 
rear end would be charging they would be drawing air 
from the one already charged, this would cause the 
brakes to creep on. Second — In making a service appli- 
cation of the brakes the auxiliary air would flow back into 
the train pipe and equalize, and with a light service re- 
duction, say 7 or 8 lbs. the brakes with the large feed 
port would not apply at all, and those with small feed 



64 

ports that had applied would be releasea by the building 
up of the train pipe pressure from the auxiliaries attach- 
ed to triples with large feed ports. Third — In releasing 
the brakes, the front end would release and the auxiliaries 
on the front end would be drawing air from the train pipe 
so fast that it would take considerable pumping to raise 
the pressure in the train pipe on the rear end of a long 
train sufficiently to force the piston to release position. 
The slack would out and a broken train would be the result. 

Q. When testing brakes, can the engineer tell if the 
brakes set in quick action? A. Yes, by watching the train 
pipe pointer on the gauge. If it takes a dip and the train 
pipe exhaust ceases for an instant, the brakes have set in 
quick action. 

Q. In handling long freight trains, what should the first 
reduction be? A. Owing to the numerous leaks in a long 
train pipe, it is necessary to use good judgment, but usually 
from 5 to 7 lbs. will be sufficient for the first reduction. 

Q. Has the engineer on a passenger train any other way 
of telling if the brakes applied in quick action aside from 
the dipping of the gauge pointer, and the stoppage of train 
pipe exhaust? A. Yes; the reducing valve will blow. 

Q. Having a train equipped with a high speed brake, and 
we stop along the way to pick up a car, that has neither 
reducing" valve or safety valve, what must be done? A. 
It depends on the train we have. If we have less than nine 
cars, reduce the train pipe pressure from 110 to 70 lbs., 
and the main reservoir from 140 to 100 lbs., and use the 
brake on all of the cars. If we have nine cars or more, cut 
the brake out on the car not equipped for high speed 
brake and go ahead. 

Q. What is the arrangement of the C. V. brake system ? 
A. Two sets of brakes connected to the one set of rods. 

Q. Where are such brakes used? A. On passenger cars 
only. 

Q. If one of the brakes become defective would you cut 



65 

out the defective part or the whole brake? A. In this case 
where the two brakes are conected to the one set of rods, 
you would cut out the whole brake. 

Q. Some passenger cars have two distinct brakes; one 
on each truck. If one becomes defective, would you cut out 
the whole brake? A. No; cut out the defective brake, and 
use the brake on the other truck. 

Q. Is a train pipe leak always a reduction? A. No. It 
is not a reduction as long as it is supplied from the main 
reservoir. 

Q. If we have the train pipe charged up, and make a re- 
duction but the brakes do not apply, where is the trouble? 
A. The auxiliaries may not be charged. 

Q. How can we tell if the auxiliaries are charged? A. 
Lap the brake valve if the train line pointer stands at 70 
lbs. the auxiliaries are fully charged. If it drops below 70 
the auxiliaries are not fully charged. 

Q. How long does it take to charge an auxilliary on a 
freight car? A. If the standard train pipe pressure is 
maintained, it will require from one to two minutes. 

l; i'lme lO charge a passenger coach using a carburator 
tank? A. Seven to ten minutes. 

Q How long does it take to charge a large Pullman or 
Postal car using carburators and water raisers? A. From 
20 to 21 minutes. 

Q. Where does the carburator get its air from? A. The 
auxiliary reservoir. 

Q. What pressure is carried in the carburator tank? A. 
65 lbs. per square inch. 

Q. Why is the pressure retained in the carourator tank? 
when the auxiliary pressure is reduced below 65 lbs. ? A. 
On acount of being charged through a non-return check 
valve. 

Q. Where does the water rising system get its air from? 
A. From the auxiliary reservoir. 

Q Hew is it supplied? A. Through a reducing valve. 



6'6 • 

Q. What pressure is carried in the water raising tank'/ 
A. 20 lbs. 

Q. If a brake becomes defective on a passenger car and 
has to be cut out, will the carburetor lights go out? A. 
In four hours they will go out. 

Q. How can the triple valve be arranged to carry the 
cut-out cock in the branch pipe open, to charge the auxiliary 
keep the lights burning, supply the water raiser and keep 
the brake from applying? A. Block the triple piston irt 
release position. 

Q. How can this be done? A. By removing the stop 
plug; take out the graduating stem and spring; cut a piece' 
of hard wood or iron long enough to hold the triple piston 
in release position and leave room to return the stop plug 
to its proper place. 

Q. If the train pipe is fully charged, what do we do to 
get the brakes applied? A. Reduce the train pipe pressure. 

Q. When the brakes are applied, what must be done to 
release them? A. Build up the train pipe pressure, or re- 
duce the auxiliary reservoir pressure. 

Q. How many ways have we to apply the brakes? A, 
Two; in service and emergency. 

Q. What causes a service application of the brakes? A, 
A slow, gradual reduction in the train pipe pressure. 

Q. If we take all of the air out of the train pipe by & 
slow, gradual reduction, how will the brakes apply? A, 
In service. 

Q. While the reduction is going on, how long will the 
brakes continue to apply? A. Until equalization occurs* 
between each individual auxiliary and train pipe pressure r r 
according to the piston travel in each brake cylinder. 

Q. What causese an emergency application? A. A quick 
sudden reduction in the train pipe pressure. 

Q. Is it necessary to take all of the air out of the train* 
pipe to get the brakes to set in quick action? A. No. 

Q, Why are we instructed that when an emergency ap- 



67 

plication of the brake is necessary we should place the 
brake valve handle in the emergency position and leave it 
there? A. This insures all brakes applying and remain 
applied. 

Q. Why do we call a service application a uniform appli- 
cation? A. Because the brakes all apply at the same 
time. 

Q. Is an emergency application a uniform application? 
A. No; one brake setting in the emergency starts the next 
one, and so on to the end of the train. If 
started by the brake valve, they follow each other to the 
rear end. If started at the rear end by opening an angle 
cock they follow each other to the front. If one triple 
goes to emergency position in the middle of the train, it 
starts the train on each side of it, and the brakes will set 
in the emergency from the middle and go both ways. 

Q. In case a train breaks, what should be done? A. Close 
the throttle; place brake valve handle in emergency posi- 
tion, and protect all tracks until you know they are clear. 

Q. While running along you feel the brakes gradually 
aprl} ing, and the train line pointer dropping back, what 
would you do? A. Lap the brake valve; stop and find out 
the trouble. 

Q. If a bursted hose, how can you assist the train-crew 
to locate it, especially at night? A. Place the brake valve 
handle on the shoulder between running una lap positions 
with G-6 valve, with H-6 valve, between holding and lap 
position. This will cause a blow at the leaky Hose, and still 
retain the main reservoir pressure. 

Q, If a direct application of the brakes is made on the 
engine alone, and the brake valve is returned to lap po- 
sition quickly, what causes the brakes to release? A. 
Chamber D. pressure has practically not been disturbed and 
is leaking past the equalizing piston packing ring which will 
build up the train pipe pressure sufficiency to force the 
triple piston to release position. 



Q. What reductions will set the brakes full with the dif- 
ferent piston travel? A. Less than 4-inch travel will not 
clear the leakage groove in the brake cylinder? A. lSVz 
lbs. reduction will set a 4-inch piston travel full. A. 17-lb. 
reduction will set a 6-inch travel full. A 20 lb. reduction 
will set an 8-inch travel full. A 25-lb. reduction will set a 
9-inch travel full, but the 9-inch travel will only equalize 
at 45 lbs. 

Q. With the system properly charged, how much pressure 
do we get in the brake cylinder from an emergency 
application? A. 60 lbs. per square inch. 

Q. What per cent, of the 60 lbs. is taken from the train 
pipe? A. 1-6 or 10 lbs. 

Q. When we get undesired quick action, we call it "a 
kicker;" what will cause a "kicker" when making a service 
application of the brake? A. Dirty, sticky triple valve. 
Possibly, having restricted ports assisted by train pipe leaks 
near the triple if on a short ? A. A weak or broken grad- 
uating spring or stem will frequently cause the trouble. 

Q. A triple that causes undesired quick action, or 
"kicker," is a source of trouble, and we want to cut that 
brake out if we can find it. How can we locate the tri^ 
pie that is causing the trouble? A. As a rule a triple 
will not cause undesired quick action back of the twentieth 
car unless assisted by train line leaks, so by stopping the 
leaks you will end the trouble. But we will corner the trouble 
in the first 20 cars. Close the angle cock; on the rear of 
the tenth car charge up and make a full service appli- 
cation of the brake. Watch the train line pointer closely 
to see if it takes a dip. If not found in the ten cars, cut in 
five more and apply the brakes again. If you still cannot 
locate the trouble, cut in two more cars, then if the kicker 
shows up, it is in either the 16th or 17th car cut out. Ctu 
out the 17th car and apply again. This time if the kicker 
shows up it is the 16th car. If it does not show up 
it is in the 17th car. 



69 

Q. With a long train have any way of telling if the kicker 
is on the front or rear end of the train? A. Yes; if it 
is on the front end the slack will bunch up and you will get 
a bump. If it occurs well back in the train, the slack will 
run out and you will get a jerk. 

Q. When trying to locate a kicker, wny not use light 
reduction? A. We may find a few brakes that would not 
apply from a light reduction on a long train on account of 
bad packing leather in the brake cylinder. It's not always 
the brake that does not apply on a long train that causes 
trouble. These brakes may apply from a heavy reduction. 

Q. If you should find a brake that did not respond to a 
light reduction, would you cut it out? A. No. 

Q. In coupling a low-speed er.gine to a high-speed train, 
why not lap the brake valve instead of making a 10-lb. 
reduction? A. By lapping the brake valve you would re- 
tain a 70-lb. pressure in the equalizing reservoir which 
would seat the equalizing discharge valve and hold the 
train pipe charged at 70 lbs. Then to release the brakes 
the train pipe would be overcharged and the brakes would 
creep on. 

Q. In case while running along you get an overcharged 
train pipe, how would you get rid of the high pressure? 
A. Make a partial service application of the brakes heavy 
enough to reduce the train pipe pressure down to 60 lbs. 
This will bring the train to a standstill. Release and go 
ahead. 

Q. What causes a blow at the triple exhaust while in 
release position? A. The emergency valve being unseated, 
the train line check valve gasket or the slide valve leaking. 

Q. What pressure is leaking if the slide valve is leaking ? 
A. Auxiliary reservoir pressure. 

Q. What pressure is leaking if the check valve gasket or 
emergency valve is leaking? A. Train pipe pressure. 

Q. How can we determine which defect is causing the 
blow? A. Close the cut-out cock in the branch pipe. If the 



70 

Q. If we could not get the equalizing piston to lift by rea- 
son of the preliminary exhaust port being stopped up, or 
for any other cause, how could we apply the brakes? A. 
By going carefully over the emergency position. 

Q. Are there any rules by which we may calculate the 
brake cylinder pressure by a given train pipe reduction? A. 
About the best rule to calculate from is 2 1 / 2 to 1, with the 
proper piston travel. We say one pound reduction from 
the train pipe will develope 2Vz lbs. in the brake cylinder. 
It is not claimed that this is a precise rule, but it's a quick 
calculation. 

Q. Why will one lb. reduction make 2% lbs. in the brake 
cylinder? A. Because with the Standard piston travel 
the space in the brake cylinder is 2% times smaller than 
the space in the auxiliary. 

Q. Will the first 5 lbs. reduction give any braking power ? 
A. No; it takes 5 lbs. to force the atmosphere pressure 
out of the brake cylinder compress, the release spring and 
drive the pistons out to bring the shoes up against the 
wheels. 

Q. Will we proceed to calculate brake cylinder pressure 
according to train pipe reductions made? A. Yes, to attach 
to the brake cylinder a gauge, then make a 5-lb. reduction, 
would the gauge show any brake cylinder pressure ? A. No. 

Q. Why? A. The gauge is so constructed as to not regis- 
ter any pressure under atmosphere pressure. 

Q. To make another 5-lb. reduction, what will the gauge 
register? A. 10x2 V 2 -25 lbs. 

Q. Another 5-lb. reduction? A. 15x2 1 / 2 -37 1 / 2 lbs. 

Q. Another 5-lb. reduction, 20 lbs in all? A. 20x2 V 2 -50 
lbs. 

Q. When 50 lbs. per square inch is obtained in the brake 
cylinder what do we call it? A. Equalization of pressure, 
brake applies and the blow ceases it is a train pipe leak 
caused by the emergency valve or train line gasket. If 
the brake does not apply and the blow does not cease, the 
slide valve is leaking. 



71 

Q. Why ? A. Because the auxiliary pressure has been re- 
duced to 50 lbs. and the brake cylinder pressure has been 
built up to 50 lbs. 

Q. How do all of the pressures stand with the brakes 
applied full. A. 

Atmosphere , 14 7-10 

Main Reservoir . . .. » 100 

Equalizing Reservoir 50 

Train Pipe 50 

Auxiliary Reservoir 50 

Boake Cylinder 50 

Q. After applying the brakes with a 20-lb. reduction, how 
would we release and put 20 lbs. in the brake cylinder? A. 
Place brake valve handle in release position until train pipe 
pointer raises to a few pounds above 70, then bring handle 
to lap position. In seven seconds from the time you went to 
release position, leave lap position and blow your train line 
pressure down abut 4 lbs. blow where you released at, for 
instance, you have a 70-lb train pipe pressure, you blow 
down 20 lbs. to set the brakes, leaving 50 lbs. in train pipe. 
Now say we go to release position for two seconds; one sec- 
ond to go from release to lap; four seconds to stay on lap; 
then blow down to 46. 

Q. Why is this? A. The feed port in the triple bush is 
of a size to feed one lb. per second from 70 lbs. train pipe 
pressure, allowing a litle variation to consume seven seconds 
in releasing the auxiliary will recharge 5 lbs., then by 
blowing the train pipe pressure down to where you released 
at, this will take the 5 lbs. out of the auxiliary and puts it in 
the brake cylinder. This brings the pistons out, and the 
shoe against the wheels. Then to reduce the train pipe 
pressure, 4 lbs. more will give 20 lbs. brake cylinder pres- 
sure. 

Q. We make a 5 lb. reduction to bring the pistons out and 
shoes against the wheels. Then we want to put 10 lbs. in 
the brake cylinder. How much further reduction would we 



72 

have to make. ? A. Two pounds. 

Q. We make a 10 lb. reduction. How can we release and 
bring the pistons out, shoes against the wheels and have 
no braking power in the brake cylinder? A. Release as be- 
fore, using the seven seconds in releasing; then blow the 
train pipe pressure down to where you released at. 

Q. If in double heading with engines equipped with P. R. 
R. cut-out cock, you turn the cut-out cocK on the second 
engine to No. 2 position and there is a strong blow at the 
axhaust port, what causes it and how can you remedy it? 
A. When this blow occurs, it is caused by a weak spring at 
the end of the cut-out cock and main reservoir pressure 
is leaking past the cut-out cock and escapes to the at- 
mosphere. Cut a small wooden wedge and ..frlve it down be- 
hind the handle of the cut-otit cock and this will stop the 
blow. 

Q. When the engine is standing alone with automatic 
brake valve handle in running position. You notice the 
brakes apply and release of their own accord. What is 
wrong with it? A. A gummy feed valve and train pipe 
leaks is what is causing it. Get the feed valve cleaned and 
stop the leaks is the remedy. 

Q. What is the size of the train pipe exhaust port? A. 
9-32 of an inch in diameter. 

Q. Why is it made so small? A. To retard the flow of 
air from the train pipe to the atmosphere in making a ser- 
vice application of the brakes. 

Q. Why not let the air out of the train pipe faster? A. 
By allowing the air to escape from the train pipe faster 
would cause too sudden a reduction and set the brakes in 
quick action. 

Q. What is excess pressure and where is it carried? A. 
Excess pressure is the pressure in the main reservoir above 
that of the train pipe; for intance, we have 70 lbs. train 
pipe pressure, and 100 lbs. main reservoir pressure, then 
we have 30 lbs. above train pipe pressure, which is the 



73 

excess pressure, which in releasing will insure a more 
prompt release of the brakes. 

Q. To what chamber of ths distributing valve is the drain 
cock atached? A. To the application chamber. 

Q. To couple up the application pipe and release pipe 
wrong at the distributing. 

Q. How should the brakes be released on a long train? A. 
Place the brake valve handle in release position and leave 
it there until the train pipe and main reservoir pressure 
equalize, or until the train pipe pointer raises above 70, 
then bring valve handle to running position. 

Q. To stop a train or car on a grade for an indefinite 
time, would you use the air or hand brakes to hold them? 
A. Hand brakes. 

Q. How long could you rely on the air brakes holding a 
car standing on a grade ? A. Eight minutes. 

Q. What is automatic air brakes ? A. A system operated 
by the variation of pressures? A. A reduction in the train 
pipe pressure will cause the brakes to apply; Building up 
of a train pipe will cause the brakes to release. 

Q. What is straight air brakes? A. It is an engine 
brake receiving its air from the main reservoir. By 
building up the straight air pipe pressure applies the 
brakes. By releasing all of the pressure from the straight 
air pipe releases the brakes. 

Q. What are the essential parts of an air Drake on a car? 
A. Train pipe, cut-out cocks, hose, triple valve auxiliary 
reservoir, brake cylinder and retaining vnlve. 

Q. Which will release first? A brake with a short or 
long piston travel? A. The long piston travel will start 
to release first, but will be last releasing. 

Q. Why? A. Suppose we take a brake with an 8 inch 
piston travel and another with a 9 inch piston travel, and 
apply the brake with a full service application. We have 
50 lbs in the 8 inch travel and about 38 lbs. in the 9 inch 
travel. To raise the train pipe pressure to release these 



'"brakes, when the pressure is raised to 40 lbs. the 9 inch 
will start to release, but the train pipe must be raised 
to about 52 lbs. to start the 8 inch one to release position. 
The volume of air in the 9 inch travel is larger and will 
take longer to escape to the atmosphere, hence the long 
piston travel will be the slow one to release. 

Q Referring to the safety of a locomotive, what is the 
first thing you look for when taking charge? A. Try the 
gauge cocks and glass water gauge; examine the crown 
sheet, sides and flue sheets. 

Q. What is the first attention given to air? A. Drain, 
start, lubricate and test the pump, test the pressures, brake 
valve, feed valve and gauge. 

Q, How many pressures do we use with a straight air 
?brake? A. Two; main reservoir and brake cylinder pres- 
sure. 

Q. Can the brakes be" applied two ways from the train ? 
A. Yes; open the angle cock slow and make a slow, grad- 
ual reduction and the brakes will apply in service. To open 
the angle cock quickly will cause a sudden reduction and 
the brakes will apply in the emergency. 

Q„ Should a 3-piston retaining valve be used on a light 
tar with handle turned at an angle of 75% ? A. No; it must 
he used in that position only on 100,000 capacity loaded 
cars. 

Q. Where yard test plants are located, how would you 
make a test? A. Make a road test. 

Q. What is the rule for making up freight trains? A. 
When the engine is coupled to the train, the engineer 
should lap the automatic brake valve until the train crew 
sees to it that all hose are coupled and all angle cocks 
are open, except the one on the rear end, and see that the 
cut-out cocks are all open. The auxiliary release valves 
are all closed and the handle on each retaining valve is turn- 
ed down. 

<Q. When cutting off a train, what is the rule regarding the 



75 

safety of the train ? A. All trains must be secured by 
hand brakes when left standing alone. 

Q. When steadying a train around a curve, where should 
the brakes be applied and released? A. The brake should 
be applied on the straight line just before you strike the 
curve and released after the center of the curve is past. 

Q. If while on the road the brakes should fail entirely, 
how would you proceed ? A. Arrange to have the train 
controlled by hand brakes to the first telegraph or telephone 
ofiice, report the condition to the Superintendent and be 
governed by his orders. 

Q. If a leak is found at hose coupling gasket, how can it 
be remedied? A. Renew the gasket. If you do not have a 
gasket, drive a wooden wedge between the knuckle and lug. 
This will usually stop the leak. 

Q Where train men take hose from an engine to replace 
on cars, what should they do ? A. Return the defective 
hose so as the engineer may turn in and get proper credit 
for same. 

Q. To open a car discharge valve, and no air escapes, but 
air will escape from the discharge valve on the car ahead, 
and the car behind it, what may be wrong? A. There may 
be a blind gasket inserted or the strainer may be entirely 
closed with dirt. 

Q. In making up trains, all hose are coupled. How should 
the angle cock be opened on turning in the air from the en- 
gine? A. Slow; to prevent quick action on the tender. 

Q. Why is a 12-inch piston not a good one? A. Because 
the piston will come out against the non-pressure head of 
the brake cylinder, and the shoes will not touch the wheels. 

Q. Should air hose be pulled apart? A. No; uncouple 
them by hand, by pulling them apart. 

Q. What damage would it do to pull them apart? A. It 
sprains the hose, causing them to burst near the pipe con- 
nection. It also breaks the angle cock off at the train pipe 
sleeve. 



-76 

Q Wh-n applying new pipes or hose, and in many cases 
coupling, what should be done? A. Blow them out to rid 
them of sand, scale and dust. 

Q. Is there anything about the automatic brake valve that 
will cause the loss of excess pressure? A. Yes; if the reg- 
ulating valve of the feed valve sticks open, a leaky supply 
valve of the feed valve, a leaky rotary valve or a cracked 
feed valve gasket, any of these defects will cause loss of ex- 
cess pressure. 

Q. On a freight car having two brake staffs, which one 
works with the air ? A. The one on the end of the car where 
the retaining valve is located. 

Q. Why should all of the air hose be coupled up before 
turning on the air? A. To cause a uniform charging of the 
auxiliaries. By turning air into a part of the train those 
auxiliaries will be charged, then turn in more care. The 
brakes with the charge auxiliary will apply and is a waste 
of air. 

Q. In making up freight trains, how many brakes in con- 
secutive order should be cut out ? A. Not more than two. 

Q. Why not more than two ? A. If more than two brakes 
are cut out and the brakes are applied in the emergency, 
the brakes ahead of the cut-out brakes will apply in the 
emergency, but the reduction will not be sudden enough to 
cause quick action back of the cut-out cars. 

Q. What is the object of the P. R. R. cut-out cock? A. 
To allow the second engine to be cut out. The front en- 
gineer having full control of the brakes and giving the sec- 
ond engineer an opportunity to read the gauge and know 
what train pipe reductions are being made, and if the en- 
gineer on the second engine sees danger ahead, he can ap- 
ply the brakes in the emergency, but not in service. Neither 
can he release the brakes with the cut-out cock in No. 2 po- 
sition. 

Q. Can you locate a leaky pin-valve in pump governor? 
A. By a constant flow of air through release Port C. while 



77 

the pump is working. 

Q. Place the brake valve handle in running position, but 
no air enters the train pipe, where would the trouble be? 
A. The regulating valve in the feed valve is gummed up. 
<65. Q. If the gauge pipe leading to the train pipe pointer was 
broken off how could you handle the brakes T A. Put blind 
gasket in union of equalized reservoir T carry brake valve 
handle in release position and apply the brakes by leaking 
them on or by going carefully into the emergency position. 

Q. Do you have a gauge to guide you in this kind of brak- 
ing? A. No; this is called braking by sound. 

Q. In a service application with the E. T. equipment, is 
the cylinder pressure on engine and tender uniform with the 
pressures in the train brake cylinders? A. Yes; just as 
uniform as with the standard quick action. 

Q. With an emergency application of a high speed brake, 
what pressure do we get in the driver brake cylinders ? A. 
68 lbs. 

Q. With the E. T. we make a light service application, and 
the brake cylinder pressure continues to increase, what is 
causing it? A. A leaky rotary valve in the independent 
brake valve, leaky equalizing slide valve, or a leak past the 
gasket. 

Q. With the same kind of an application and the brake 
cylinder pressure decreases what is causing it? A. A leaky 
brake cylinder or bad piston packing leather or leaky ex- 
haust valve. 

Q H^w can we tell if the application valve is leaking, or 
if it is the exhaust valve leaking? A. If the application 
valve is leaking, the brake cylinder pressure will raise as 
will be indicated by the red hand on the small gauge. If 
the exhaust valve is leaking, there will be a blow at the dis- 
tributing valve exhaust. 

Q. When freight trainmen are ready to test brakes, how 
will they signal the engineer to apply the brakes? A. By 
displaying hand-lamp or flag, held at arm's length above the 



78 

head. To release the brakes the same signals will be used 
horizontally above the head. 

Q How will passenger train men signal the engineer to 
apply the brakes ? A. By pulling cord four times from the 
rear platform of the rear car. To get the engineer to re- 
lease the brakes, they will pull the cord another four times. 

Q. If the inspector or trainmen find a car in their train 
with the brake cut out and not carded, and can't see any de- 
fect, what should they do with it? A. Cut it in and test it. 
The brake may be all right; if found defect ive, cut it out and 
properly card it. 

Q. How should a Conductor's emergency valve be open- 
ed to stop a train? A. Open it wide, and hold it open until 
the train is stopped. 

Q. Can the conductor make a service stop with the emer- 
gency valve? A. Yes; by gradually opening the emergency 
valve. 

Q. Should the angle cock be used to stop trains ? A. Only 
in case of emergency. 

Q What pasenger cars have two sets of brakes with a 
branch pipe to each tripple valve ? A. Heavy steel Pullman 
cars. 

Q. Would you cut out one or both brakes if one should 
fail? A. Cut out the defective one and use the other. 

Q. If the train pipe check valve is leaking, what effect will 
it have when the brake is applied? A. It will release that 
brake. 

Q. What effect will a leaky graduating valve have? A. 
With the triple in service lap position, it will cause the 
brake to apply harder. It can do no harm in either re- 
lease service or emergency position. 

Q. What is the purpose of the air signal system? A. 
For the conductor to communicate to the engineer. 

Q. What is the size of the preliminary exhaust port? 
A. 5-64 of an inch in diameter. 

Q. If this little port should become stopped up with 



■ 79 

dirt, could we apply the brake in service? A. Yes; by 
going very carefully into the emergency position. 

Q. What kind of an application would you call this? 
A. Leaking the brakes on. 

Q. If while running alcrg, say, six or eight miles per 
hour and something should occur that you would want to 
make a quick stop, would you apply the brakes in the 
emergency? A. No; by applying the brakes in the 
emergency at low speed will slide the wheels, and sliding 
wheels will not hold. You will get better- results by ap- 
plj ing the brakes in service in this case. 

Q. When coupled to a long train you apply the brakes 
and you notice the blow at the train pipe exhaust ceases 
about the time you lap the brake valve, what does it in- 
dicate? A. A very short train pipe. The angle cock on 
the rear of the tender may be closed. 

Q. With a light engine to release the brakes, you get 
a blow at the train pipe exhaust; why is this? A. The 
train pipe being short and placing the brake valve handle 
in release position charges the train pipe quicker than 
the equalizing reservoir, hence the train pipe pressure 
lifts the equalizing piston, causing the blow. 

Q. What does it depend on as to the length of time ,it 
requires to charge a 50-car train 1 A. It depends on the* 
capacity of the main reservoir, train pipe leakage and the 
condition and capacity of the pump. 

AUTOMATIC SLACK ADJUSTER. 

Q. What is the slack adjuster for? A To retain a uni- 
form piston travel. 

Q. To what is it attached- A. To the pressure head of 
the brake cylinder and dead lever. 

Q. What pressure operates it? A. Brake cylinder pres- 
sure 

Q. How is it operated by brake cylinder pressure? 
A. A pipe is attached to the brake cylinder at a point the 
piston reaches when uniform piston travel is attained, which 



will be a little more than 8 inches from the pressure-head 
of the brake cylinder. The other end of the pipe is attached 
to the adjuster cylinder. 

Q What should be done with a car equipped with a slack 
adjuster? A. When new wheels are put in and new shoes 
put on the slack should be taken up to a 6-inch piston travel 
by means of the dead lever and rod connections and not 
meddled with afterward. 

Q. How does the slack adjuster operate? A. As the 
shoes wear and rigging and trucks attain lost motion the 
piston travel will become longer when the piston reaches 
a travel of 8% inches. The packing leather passes the port 
inside of the brake cylinder, the brake cylinder pressure 
passes through the connecting pipe to the adjuster cylinder, 
forces the adjuster piston back and seats the in 

the second notch in the rachet-wheel. When the brakes are 
released the adjuster spring returns the adjuster to its nor- 
mal position which turns the adjusting screw until the 
shoulder of the ( ? ? ? ? ?)**** strikes the jamb and hooks. 

Q, now much is the leverage shortened by each operation 
of the adjuster? A . About 1 -?? ^f pn inch. 
BRAKE CYLINDERS. 

•Q. What size brake cylinders are used on cars? A. 6, 8, 
10, 12, 14 and 16 inches in diameter. 

Q Where are brake cylinders located on cars? A. At 
the most convenient place where repairs may be easily 
made. 

Q. What are the operative parts of the brake cylinder? 
A. Piston, packing leather, expander ring and release 
spring. 

Q. What is the duty of the release spring ? A. To return 
the piston to release position when the pressure has been 
exhausted from the cylinder. 

Q. What is the duty of the packing leather ? A. To make 
an air-tight joint around the piston. 

Q. What is the duty of the expander ring? A. Its duty 



81 

is to hold the packing leather snugly against the walls of 
the cylinder. 

Q. Are there any ports or grooves in a brake cylinder? 
A. Yes, there is one port leading to the slack adjuster 
when it is attached; there is also a groove in the wall of 
the cylinder in the end next to the pressure head. 

Q. What is the name of this groove? A. Leakage groove. 

Q. Why is the leakage groove in a brake cylinder? 
A. Train pipe Teaks may cause a sensitve triple to admit 
a little air into the brake cylinder, a leaky gasket or a leaky 
auxiliary tube may admit a small amount of air into the 
brake cylinder. In cases of such light leaks of air into the 
brake cylinder it will pass by the piston to the atmosphere 
and not cause the brake to drag. 

Q. Brake cylinders are not of the same width; are they 
of the same length? A. No, they are made to meet the 
different requirements. 

Q. How are brake cylinders attached :o cars? A. By 
means of reds or braces attached to the car sills. 

Q. From what is the size of a brake cylinder to be used 
on a car, calculated? A. From the total weight of the car. 

Q. How are brake cylinders and auxiliary reservoirs ar- 
ranged or a freight car? A. Connected together. 

Q. What style or type would you call it? A. Combined 
type. 

Q. Is the triple valve attached to the brake cylinder? 
A. No, the triple is attached to the auxiliary reservoir. 

Q. How does the air get from the tripple valve past the 
auxiliary to the brake cylinder? A. While the auxiliary is 
between the triple valve and brake cylinder. There is a 
tube that runs lengthwise through the auxiliary and the air 
passes from the auxiliary through the triple valve and 
through the auxiliary tube into the brake cylinder. 

Q. When and how does the air get out of the brake cylin- 
der? A. It passes through the auxiliary tube to the under- 
side of the triple slide valve and to the atmosphere. 



82 

Q. How is the brake cylinder and auxiliary located on a 
passenger car? A. Usually one on each side. 

Q. Is the triple valve attached to the auxiliary reservoir 
on a passenger car? A. No, a brake cylinder on a passen- 
get car has a different designed pressure head and the triple 
valve is attached to this brake cylinder head. 

Q. How does the air get into the auxiliary and brake 
cylinder, one being on each side under a car ? A. The triple 
and auxiliary are connected by a pipe. 

Q. Explain how the air passes through a passenger equip- 
ment in applying and releasing the brakes. A. With 
triple in release position, air passes from the train pipe past 
the triple piston and through the connecting pipe into the 
auxiliary, in applying the brakes air passes from the 
auxiliary back through the connecting pipe through the 
triple valve into the brake cylinder, in releasing the brake 
air passes from the brake cylinder through the triple to 
the atmosphere. 

Q. When a brake releases and there is no exhaust at the 
triple we say the brake dropped off. What is the cause 
of it? A. Sometimes the air is leaking past the pressure 
head, but usually the packing leather is in bad condition, 
it being hard and dry and not forming an air-tight joint 
against the walls of the cylinder. If the expander ring is 
not in proper place air will escape past the packing leather 
and the brake will drop off. 

Q. Does the expander ring ever cause any other trouble? 
A. Yes, if it is out of place it may bind the piston against 
the walls of the cylinder and prevent the release spring 
from returning to release position and not give the brake 
shoes the proper clearance. 

Q. How long is the leakage groove in a brake cylinder? 
A. About 3% inches. 

Q. If the leakage groove was closed with dirt or gum, 
what effect would it have? A. Any leakage into the brake 
cylinder could not escape past the piston and would cause 



the brakes to drag. 

Q. If the release spring was broken, would there be any 
bad effect? A. In releasing the brakes the piston would 
not be returned to release position promptly. 
AUXILIARY RESERVOIRS. 

Q. What are auxiliary reservoirs used for? A. To carry 
in store air for each individual brake. 

Q. As the size of the brake cylinder is calculated by the 
weight of the car, how are we to be governed as to what 
size reservoir to use? A. The brake cylinder is calcu- 
lated by the weight of the car and the auxiliary is governed 
by the size of the brake cylinder used. 

Q. How would you bleed the auxiliary reservoir? 
A. Open the bleed cock and hold it open until the air is out 
of the auxiliary. 

Q. If a brake was stuck and you wanted to release it, 
how would you do ? A. Open the bleed cock until the brake 
started to release, then close it. 

Q. Why not hold it open longer? A. By holding it open 
longer would only be a waste of air. 

Q. What size reservoirs are used on freight cars? 
A. For 6, 8 and 10-inch brake cylinders used in freight serv- 
ice the various cast iron standard reservoirs are used. If 
a passenger or tender is equipped with an 8-inch cylinder 
it would require an auxiliary 10x24 inches. Auxiliaries at- 
tached to driver brakes are 10x33 inches. If 10-inch cylin- 
ders are used on an engine tender or passenger car a 12x33- 
inch auxiliary is necessary. Where a 12-inch cylinder is 
used an auxiliary 14x33 inches is used; 14-inch cylinder, 16x 
33-inch auxiliary is used, and a 16-inch cylinder a 16x42-inch 
auxiliary is used. 

TEST PUMP GOVERNOR. 

Pump pressure up fully, make an application of 10 or 
15 pounds, release and note if governor stops pump when 
the desired pressure is gained. 



84 

TEST FEED VALVE. 

Make a full service reduction, release and when the black 
hand registers with red hand place brake valve in running 
position and see if black hand stops at train line pressure 
required. 

TEST BRAKE VALVE. 

Pump up to pressure make a reduction of 20 pounds. 
The preliminary exhaust port in rotary seat is a plugged 
of 5-64 of an inch in diameter and should reduce Chamber 
D pressure 20 pounds in six seconds; listen to the blow 
at the preliminary exhaust; if the blow is weak and the 
train line drops to slow, Port E may be gummed up; if the 
blow is trong and the train line hand drops to slow the 
body gasket or the packing rings in the equalizing dis- 
charge valve may be leaking. With the brake valve on 
lap both hands raise to 100 there may be a leaky gasket 
between the brake valve and the feed valve. 
TEST SIGNAL LINE. 

Open and close plub cock on signal line at rear of tender 
to see if reducting valve is open and see if signal valve 
will respond; if so, the whistle will sound. 
CLEANING TRIPLE VALVES. 

Q. Explain the proper way to clean a triple valve. 
A. Unbolt the triple, remove all operative parts, clean 
each part thoroughly, using a cloth that has no lint; clean 
all ports and feed groove, using a bit of wood to remove 
the gum from the feed groove; soak the piston in kerosene, 
then work the piston packing ring until it is loose and sen- 
sitive, but do not remove the ring from the piston; take 
a drop of oil on the tip of the finger and oil the piston 
packing ring and the face of the slide valve; the other 
parts do not need any oil. Return all parts to their proper 
places. The train line check valve case gasket has one 
fluted side; this side goes down. The triple should then 
be placed on a testing rack for a test. 



85 

CLEANING BRAKE CYLINDERS. 

Q. How often should a brake cylinder be cleaned? 
A. Once in six months. 

Q. What is the proper method of cleaning a brake cylin- 
der? A. Remove the non-pressure cylinder head and piston, 
remove the follower plate expander ring and packing 
leather, wipe each part perfectly clean, warm the packing 
leather and work it with the hands until it is perfectly 
soft and pliable, return it to its proper place on the piston, 
then insert the expander ring; notice that it is a perfect 
ring and fits snugly; then bolt on the follower plate. The 
walls of the cylinder must be perfectly cleaned, and care 
must be taken that the leakage groove is rid of all gum 
and dirt. Do not use a steel instrument to clean the leak- 
age groove; use a piece of wood; this will prevent wearing 
the groove larger. When all parts have been examined 
and cleaned take grease on the hand and rub the walls 
of the brake cylinder. Then return the piston, using care 
that the packing leather is not cramped, but must be held 
against the walls of the cylinder by the expander ring to 
make an air-tight joint; then replace the release spring 
and non-pressure head. 

Q. After a cylinder is cleaned and oiled, wnat is yet to 
do? A. Stencil on the outside with paint the day, month 
and year that it was cleaned and oiled. 
E. T. NO. 6 EQUIPMENT 

Q. Why is this equipment called the E. T. ? A. Because 
it applies to engines and tenders only. 

Q. Does the E. T. brake work in harmony with all other 
brakes on a train? A. Yes, the E. T. equipment does work 
in harmony with all other brakes. 

Q. What are the features claimed for the E. T. over 

the quick-action brake? A. With the E. T. equipment the 

brakes may be released on the train and held on the engine, 

or released on the engine and held on the train and re- 

- applied on the engine. 



Q. What are the essential part of the E. T. equipment? 
A. Air pumps, main reservoir, pump governor, two brake 
valves, two duplex gauges, distributing valve, brake cylin- 
der cut-out cocks, pipes and hose connections, feed valve, 
reducing valve and equalizing reservoir. 

Q. Can you explain the essential parts of the E. T. ? 
A. The standard 9 ^ -inch air pump as explained in the 
quick-action brake is used, also the same main reservoirs 
are used with the E. T., as with the quick-action brake. 

Q. What is the capacity of the main reservoir? A. 40,- 
000 cubic inches for the passenger reservoir service; 60,000 
cubic inches for freight service. 

Q. Can you name the pipes of the E. T. ? A. Exhaust 
pipe, connecting pipe, main reservoir pipe, train pipe, brake 
cylinder pipe, by-pass pipe, feed valve pipe, reducing valve 
pipe, signal pipe, application pipe, release pipe, release con- 
necting pipe, three governor pipes, four gauge pipes and 
equalizing reservoir pipe. 

Q. Can you give the extension of each pipe, with the 
number of pounds per square inch they contain? A. I — 
Exhaust pipe extends from the pump to the main reser- 
voir, contains 100 lbs. 

2 — Connecting pipe extends from one main reservoir to 
the other, contains 100 lbs. 

3 — Main reservoir pipe extends from main reservoir to 
the automatic brake valve, branching to the distributing 
valve, feed valve and reducing valve, contains 100 lbs. 

4 — Train pipe extends length of engine and tender, 
branches to the automatic brake valve and distributing 
valve, contains 70 lbs. 

5 — Brake cylinder pipe extends from the distributing 
valve to the driver, tender and engine truck brake cylinders 
and contains brake cylinder pressure equalization, 50 lbs. 

6 — The by-pass pipe extends from the train pipe to the 
main reservoir pipe; this being the dead engine pipe it con- 
tains 100 lbs. at one side of the cut-out cock and 70 lbs. at 



87 

the other. 

7 — The feed valve pipe extends from the feed valve to 
the automatic o.ake vah"», contains 70 lbs. 

8 — The reducing valve pipe extends from the reducing 
valve to the independent brake valve, contains 45 lbs. 

9 — The application pipe extends from the distributing 
valve to the independent brake valve, also branches to the 
automatic brake valve; with a full independent application 
of the brake this pipe cc ains 45 lbs.; with a full automatic 
service 50 lbs.; v ' "\ n emergency application 88 lbs. 

10 — The release pipe extends from the distributing valve 
to the independent brake valve. 

11 — Also the connecting release pipe which connects the 
two brake valves is used in connection with the release 
pipe and contains the same pressure as the application 
cylinder, according to the application made. 

12 — The qualizing reservoir pipe extends from the "T" 
at the automatic brake valve to the equalizing reservoir,, 
contains 70 lbs. 

13 — A 3-16 copper pipe extends from the main reservoir 
pipe to the maximum governor head below the diaphragm, 
contains 100 lbs. 

14 — The excess governor has two pipes connected, one 
extending from the automatic brake valve to the excess 
governor head under the diaphragm, contains 100 lbs. 

15 — The other pipe extends from the feed valve pipe to 
the excess governor above the diaphragm, contains 70 lbs. 

16 — The signal pipe extends from the reducing valve 
pipe, contains 45 lbs. 

CUT-OUT COCKS. 

Q. How many cut-out cocks are used in the E. T. equip- 
ment? A. Eight in freight, nine in passenger service. 

Q. On what pipes are they located? A. On the main 
reservoir pipe, on branch pipe from train pipe under the 
automatic brake valve, on branch of main reservoir pipe 
leading to the distributing valve, on brake cylinder pipe 



88 

near driver brake, engine truck and tender brake cylinder, 
one on each end of train pipe and one on the by-pass pipe. 
NOTE — Where the Westinghouse cut-out 
cock is used it is located in the train pipe 
just under the automatic brake valve; but 
where the P. R. R. cut-out cock is used it is 
located on the main reservoir pipe just 
under the automatic brake valve. 

Q. Are the cut-out cocks of the same model? A. No, 
the one at the rear of the tender is an angle cock. 

Q. How should the handle of the angle cock be when 
closed? A. Lengthwise of the pipe. 

Q. Are the angle cocks all of the same style? A. There 
are two kinds; one the old style, the other has an improved 
handle which has to be raised before it can be turned; 
it's a lock handle. 

Q. How is the handle of an, angle cock to be when open ? 
A. Lengthwise of the pipe. 

Q. If the handle was lost off, how can we tell if it is 
open or shut? A. By the port mark in the top of the key, 
which must be in line with the pipe to be open. 

Q. Do we ever find a plug cut-out cock in a car? 
A. We sometimes find a plug cock on the train pipe of for- 
eign passenger cars, and in case we do the handle must 
be crosswise of the pipe to be open, just opposite to angle 
cock. 

Q. What kind of a cock is on the front end of train pipe 
on an engine? A. A straight plug cock. 

SIAMESE DUPLEX PUMP GOVERNOR. 

Q. What is a duplex pump governor? A. Two governor 
heads attached to one steam fitting. 

Q. Are the two governor heads alike? A. Yes, each 
having the same operative parts. 

Q. What are the names of these heads? A. The max- 
imum and the excess pressure heads. 

Q. Which of the heads control the pumps? A. The ex- 



cess pressure head. 

Q. If for any reason the excess pressure head should 
fail, would the maximum pressure head control the pumps? 
A. Yes. 

Q. What procure is connected to the maximum governor 
head ? A. Main reservoir pressure. 

Q. What pressures are connected to the excess governor 
head? A. Main reservoir pressure under the diaphragm 
and feed pipe pressure above the diaphragm. 

NOTE — While the two governor heads 
have the same operative parts as explained 
in the quick-action governor, the two heads 
being attached to the steam end by a "T." 

Q. What should be done with release Port "C" when 
the duplex governor is used? A. Each governor head 
having a Port "C" one should be plugged. 

Q Why is i:he duplex governor used .* A. To control 
the pump with two pressures. 

Q. In what service is the duplex governor used? A. In 
passenger service only. 

Q. Why plug one release port? A. By letting both 
ports open would cause an unnecessary wasie of air from 
the main reservoir when either of the heads stopped the 
pump. 

DISTRIBUTING VALVE. 

Q. What is the mechanical idea of a distributing valve? 
A. Two triple valves. 

Q. To what is it attached? A. A divided reservoir. 

Q. Where is it usually located? A. Under the cab on 
the right side. 

Q. How many pipes are connected to the distributing 
valve? A. Five. 

Q. Name the pipes that are connected to the distributing 
valve, and tell where they are connected. A. 1 — The sup- 
ply pipe, a branch pipe from the main reservoir pipe, the 
top connection on the left side. 



90 

2 — Application pipe from independent and automatic 
brake valves, connection at the left side of the distributing 
valve. 

3 — Release pipe from the independent brake valve, the 
lower connection on the left side of the distributing valve. 

4 — A branch pipe from the train pipe is attached to the 
lower connection on the right side of the distributing valve. 

5 — -The brake cylinder pipe is attached to the top connec- 
tion on the right side of the distributing valve. 

Q. Is there anything else attached to the distributing 
valve? A. Yes, a safety valve. 

Q. What pressure is the safety valve set at? A. 68 lbs. 

Q. What does the divided reservoir and distributing valve 
take the place of? A. The triple valves, auxiliary reser- 
voirs, and in the high-speed brake, the automatic reducing 
valve. 

Q. How many positions has the distributing valve? 
A. Eight. 

Q. Name them. A. 1, release; 2, service; 3, service lap; 
4, emergency; 5, emergency lap; 6, independent release; 
7, independent application; 8, independent lap. 

Q. What are the names of the two chambers in the di- 
vided reservoir? A. Pressure and application chambers. 

Q. What pressure does these chambers represent ? 
A. Auxiliary reservoir and brake cylinder pressure. 

Q. How are they proportioned? A. The pressure cham- 
ber is proportioned with the auxiliary reservoir and the 
application chamber with the brake cylinder. 

Q. The distributing valve is divided into how many por- 
tions? A. Two. 

Q. What are they? A. The equalizing and application 
portion. 

Q. How many operative parts has the equalizing portion ? 
A. Three. 

Q. Name them. A. Equalizing piston, graduating valve 
and slide valve. 



91 

Q. And resembles very closely what? A. The operative 
parts of a "K" triple valve. 

Q. How many operative parts has the application por- 
tion? A. Three. 

Q Name them. A. Application piston, application valve 
and exhaust valve. 

Q. Some roads v.se another part to the distributing valve, 
what is it? A. An emergency cap. 

Q. To what part is the emergency cap attached? A. To 
the train pipe end of the equalizing portion. 

Q. How many parts has the emergency cap ? A. Three. 

Q. Name them. A. Piston, slide valve and emergency 
valve-graduating stem and spring. 

Q. The application piston works in a small cylinder. What 
cylinder would you call it? A. Application cylinder. 

Q. Is the application cylinder connected to any other 
chamber? A. Yes; it is connected with the application 
chamber at all times. 

Q. Why is this so ? A. To increase the volume of the 
application cylinder. 

Q. Of the eight positions of the distributing valve, in how 
many positions does the application cylinder pressure reg- 
ister with the safety valve? A. Seven. 

Q. In what position does it not register? A. In service 
lap position. 

Q. How does the air get into the pressure chamber? 
A. Train pipe air passes equalizing piston (in release posi- 
tion) by way of small groove in the bush, the same as in a 
triple valve. 

Q. Explain the operation of the distributing valve in a 
service application of the brakes ? A. The train pipe pres- 
sure being reduced, the equalizing piston responds and fol- 
lows the weaker pressure. In doing so it closes the feed 
groove in the bush, moves the graduating valve and brings 
the slide valve to service position, opening communication 
between the pressure chamber and the application chamber 



92 

ariA the air from the pressure chamber flows through Port 
"Z" in the slide valve into the application chamber and 
cylinder, until equalization occurs between the train pipe 
and pressure chamber pressures; when the equalizing piston 
will move back, also moving the graduating valve back to 
close Port "Z," this being service lap position of the equaliz- 
ing portion. The air that comes into the application cham- 
ber flows direct into the application cylinder, moves the 
application piston to application position, which forces the 
exhaust valve back, closing communication between the 
brake cylinder and the atmosphere and opening the applica- 
tion valve which allows main reservoir pressure to flow 
into the brake cylinder until the brake cylinder pressure 
equals that of the application cylinder, when the application 
portion will go to independent lap position and brakes are 
applied. 

Q, Explain the operation of the distributing valve to re- 
lease the brakes. A. Both portions of the distributing valve 
being on lap, the train pipe being recharged forces the 
equalizing piston to release position. At this time both 
brake valves in running position, the application cylinder 
pressure is exhausted to the atmosphere by way of the 
independent and automatic brake valve, the application 
piston going to release position the brake cylinder pres- 
sure is exhausted to the atmosphere through the distrib- 
uting valve exhaust and the brakes are released. 
PRESSURES. 

Q. How many pressures are used with the E. T. equip- 
ment? A. Nine. 

Q. Name them, giving pressure per square inch of each. 
A. 1 — Atmospheric pressure 14 7-10 lbs. 

2 — Main reservoir pressure 100 lbs. 

3 — Train line pressure 70 lbs. 

4 — Feed valve pipe pressure 70 lbs. 

5 — Reducing valve pipe pressure 45 lbs. 

6 — Equalizing reservoir pipe pressure 70 lbs. 



93 

7 — Brake cylinder pipe pressure in full service with the 
proper piston travel 50 lbs. 

8 — In the emergency 88 lbs. 

9 — Application chamber 2 1 /& times the train pipe reduc- 
tion or full service 50 lbs. 

AUTOMATIC BRAKE VALVE. 

Q. What brake valve is this? A. The H-6. 

Q. How many valves has it? A. Two. 

Q Name them. A. Rotary and equalizing discharge 
valve. 

Q. How many positions has it? A. Six. 

Q. Name them. A. Release, running, holding, lap, serv- 
ice and emergency. 

Q. Is the feed valve attached to the brake valve? A. No; 
the feed valve is attached to a branch pipe from the main 
reservoir pipe. 

Q. In release position the air passes from where to 
where? A. From the main reservoir to the train pipe; from 
the main reservoir to the equalizing reservoir; from the 
main reservoir to the excess governor top below the diaph- 
ragm; from the feed valve pipe to the atmosphere by way 
of the warning port. 

Q. In running position the air passes from where to 
where? A. From the feed valve pipe to the train pipe; 
frcm the train pipe to the equalizing reservoir; from the 
main reservoir to the excess governor top below the 
diaphragm and from the application cylinder of the distrib- 
uting valve to the atmosphere by way of independent and 
automatic brake valves. 

Q In holding position air passes from where to where? 
A. From the feed valve pipe to the train pipe; from the 
train pipe to the equalizing reservoir, and from the main 
reservoir to the excess governor top below the diaphragm. 

Q. In. lap position the air passes from wnere to where? 
A. All ports closed. 

Q, In service position air passes from where to where? 



94 

A. From the equalizing reservoir to the atmosphere by 
way of preliminary exhaust port and straight exhaust, and 
from the train pipe to the atmosphere by way of train pipe 
exhaust. 

Q. In the emergency position air passes from where to 
where. A. From the train pipe direct to the atmosphere 
and from the main reservoir to the application cylinder by 
way of blow-down retarding port. 

Q. How many pipes are connected to the automatic brake 
valve? A. Seven. 

Q. What pipes are they? A. 1, main reservoir pipe; 2, 
train pipe; 3, feed valve pipe; 4, "T" pipe to equalizing- 
reservoir; 5, pipe to excess governor top; 6, a branch of the 
application pipe; 7, the connecting release pipe. 
INDEPENDENT BRAKE VALVE. 

Q. What is the name of this valve? A. S-6. 

Q. How many valves are there in the independent brake 
valve? A. One. 

Q. What is its name? A. The independent rotary. 

Q. How many positions has the rotary valve? A. Five. 

Q. Name them. A. 1, release; 2, running; 3, lap; 4, slow 
service; 5, quick service. 

Q. What pressure seats the independent rotary valve? 
A. Reducing valve pressure. 

Q. How many pipes are connected to the independent 
brake valve? A. Four. 

Q. Name them. A. 1, reducing valve pipe; 2, application 
pipe; 3, release pipe; 4, connecting release pipe. 

Q. Air passes from where to where through the inde- 
pendent brake valve? A. 1 — In release position air passes 
from the application chamber to the atmosphere and from 
the reducing valve pressure to the atmosphere by way of 
the warning port. 

2 — In running position air passes from the application 
chamber to the atmosphere by way of independent and auto- 
matic brake valves. 



95 

3 — In lap position all ports are blank. 

4 — In slow service air passes from the top of the rotary 
valve through a small groove to the application pipe. 

5 — In quick service position air passes frcm the top of 
the rotary through a large port to the application pipe. 

Q. Why is a spring used with this brake valve ? A. To 
return the handle from release to running position and 
from quick service to slow service position. 

Q. Why net let the brake valve handle in release posi- 
tion? A. By doing so the engine brakes could not be re- 
leased automatically, 

Q. Should this spring break and the break valve handle 
remain in release position, what would call the engineer's 
attention to this ? A. The warning port would call his at- 
tention to this. 

GAUGES. 

Q. What pressures do the gauge pointers indicate? 
A. 1 — The red hand on the large gauge, the main reservoir 
pressure. 

2 — The black hand on the large gauge, equalizing reser- 
voir pressure. 
3 — The black hand on the small gauge train pipe pressure. 

4 — The red hand on the small gauge brake cylinder pres- 
sure. 

NON-RETURN CHECK VALVES. 

Q. Hew many non-return checks are used? A. One in 
freight and two in passenger service. 

Q. Where are they located? A. In the signal pipe and 
in the by-pass pipe. 

Q. How are these checks held to their seats? A. By a 
spring. 

Q. What tension has the spring on the by-pass pipe? 
A. 20 lbs. 

Q. Why is this check located here? A. When using the 
dead engine feature it prevents main reservoir air from 
entering the train pipe while applying the brake. 



96 

Q. Why is a non-return check used in the signal pipe? 
A. Without it the signal whistle would sound every time the 
independent brake valve was applied. 

Q. What tension has this check valve? A. From two to 
three lbs. 

FEED VALVE. 

Q. Is there any difference in the feed valve and the re- 
ducing valve? A. They are practically the same, except 
that the feed valve has a thumb wheel by which to raise 
and lower the train pipe pressure quickly. 
CHOKE FITTINGS. 

Q. How many choke fittings are used ? A. One in freight 
and two in passenger service. 

Q. Where are they located? A. In the back end of brake 
pipe at hose connection; in passenger service the other is 
in the front end at end of brake pipe, where hose to engine 
truck is connected. 

Q. Why are they used? A. If either the hose between 
tank and engine or engine truck hose should burst, the 
choke fiting would retard the flow of air. 

Q. What is the diameter of the port through the choke 
plug? A. 5-16 of an inch. 

BROKEN PIPES. 

Q. If the supply pipe should break off at the distributing 
valve, what would ycu do ? A. Close the cut-out cock on 
the supply pipe, blank the branch pipe between the train 
pipe and the distributing valve. 

Q. Would this disable the brake? A. You can apply and 
release the brakes in the usual way on the train, but the 
engine and tender brake will be cut out entirely. 

Q. To break the branch pipe from the train pipe to the 
distributing valve ? A. Blank the branch pipe at both ends. 

Q. Would this disable the brake? A. The brake may be 
applied and released with independent brake valve. 

Q. To break the brake pipe off at the driver brake cylin- 
der? A. Close the cut-out cock in the branch pipe. 



97 

Q. Would this disable the brake? A. You can then use 
the engine truck and tender truck brake. 

Q. To break the application pipe? A. Blank it at the 
distributing valve connection. 

Q. Would this disable the brake? A. The brakes could 
be manipulated on engine and train. Automatically the in- 
dependent brake would be cut out. 

Q. To break the distributing valve release pipe? A. It 
would not effect the use of the automatic brake. You could 
not apply the brake independent; while the equalizing slide 
valve would be in release position; but with an automatic 
application of the brakes, while the equalizing portion is on 
lap, the engine brake may be released independently and 
reapplied. 

Q. Would this effect the holding feature? A. Yes. 

Q. How could you regain the holding feature? A. By 
blanking the release pipe at the distributing valve you have 
the use of both the independent brake and the holding 
feature. 

Q. How can this be manipulated? A. Apply the brakes 
automatically; you may release the train brake auto- 
matically, but the engine brakes must be released with the 
independent brake valve. In this case you have the full 
use of the independent brake. 

Q. If the feed pipe should break, what would happen? 
A. The brake would apply in the emergency. 

Q. What would happen to the main reservoir pressure 
and the pumps? A. The main reservoir pressure would 
escape to the atmosphere as fast as the feed port in the 
feed valve would allow it; the pumps would speed up very 
quickly. 

Q. How would you remedy this trouble? A. Slack the 
tension of the feed valve spring, to allow the regulating 
valve to seat; this will hold the main reservoir pressure and 
the pump will quickly build it up again. 

Q. Can the brakes be operated with the feed valve pipe 



broken? A. Yes; carry the brake valve handle in release 4 
position; when wishing to apply the brakes bring the handle 5 
to the emergency position and reduce the train pipe pres- 
sure very gradually, being careful in returning the handle" 
•fco lap position, 
matic brake valves? A. Yes. 

Q. If you fail to blank the brake valve, what will occur?" 
A. The moment the brake valve would be brought to run- 
ning position the brakes would apply in the emergency. 

Q. To break the reducing pipe, what would happen? 1 
A. It would cause a heavy main reservoir leak. 

Q. How would you remedy this? A. Slack the tension 
on the reducing valve regulating spring to stop the main 
reservoir leak; now you have no pressure to seat the in- 
dependent rotary; block the application pipe at the distrib- 
uting valve. 

Q. What part of the brake would this cut out ? A. The- 
independent brake would be cut out entirely. 

Q. Would it effect any other part of the air system? 
4. Yes; the signal system would be cut out. 

Q. To break the equalizing pipe, what would happen? 1 
A. The brakes would apply in full service. 

Q. How would you remedy this? A. Blank at "T" at 
brake valve, also blank the train pipe exhaust; run with 
brake valve handle in release position. 

Q. How would you make a service application of the 
brakes? A. The same as explained in broken feed valve 
pipe. 

Q. When a service application of the brakes require the 
brake valve handle to be moved to emergency position, how 
can you tell what train pipe reduction is being made? 
A. The black pointer on the small gauge will indicate the 
reduction in the train pipe pressure and the red pointer will 
indicate the brake cylinder pressure. 

Q. In returning the brake valve handle quickly from run- 



99 

ning position, what is likely to occur ? A. It has a tendency 
to kick the front brakes off. 

Q. In double-heading, to break the circulation pipe on 
the head engine? A. Blank both ends of the broken pipe 
and go ahead. 

Q. To break circulation pipe on second engine ? A. Blank 
at both ends of broken pipe, turn cut-out cock one-half way 
between open and shut, carry brake valve handle in running 
position and go ahead. (If using Westinghouse cut-out 
cock you have no circulating pipe.) 

Q. If train pipe exhaust pipe breaks on lead engine? 
A. Go ahead; you don't need it. 

Q. If it breaks on second engine? A. Blank the train 
pipe exhaust. 

NOTE— With the Westinghouse cut- 
out cock you have no exhaust pipe. 

Q. If pipe to maximum governor head breaks ? 
A. Blank pipe at main reservoir pipe; the excess governor 
head will stop the pump if the automatic brake valve handle 
is carried in release, running or- holding position. 

Q. To break the lower pipe off of the excess governor 
head, what will happen? A. It will cause a main reservoir 
leak in the three first positions of the automatic brake valve. 
Pound the end of the pipe shut and go ahead. 

Q. To break the top off the excess governor head, how 
could we remedy it? A. Blank both pipes to excess gov- 
ernor head. 

TESTING THE BRAKE. 

Q. On taking the engine from the roundhouse we must 
know that the brakes are in proper working order; hence 
we test and see A. Properly charge the system, see that 
all cut-out cocks are open, except the ones on the front and 
rear end of train pipe and the one in the by-pass pipe. 

Q. Test for brake cylinder leakage? A. Make a light 
application of the brake; lap the brake valve; close the 
cut-out cock in the supply pipe; the red hand on the small 



100 

gauge will indicate the brake cylinder pressure. 

Q. If the brakes leak off when applied with either the 
automatic or independent brake valve, wher is the trouble? 
A. There is either a leak in the application pipe, release 
pipe application cylinder cap, or the safety valve. 

Q. Test the distributing valve? A. Charge the system; 
make a five-pound reduction; if the brakes do not apply 
there is undue friction in the operative parts of the dis- 
tributing valve. Charge up and make a 10-pound reduction. 
This should give a brake cylinder pressure of 25 lbs. with 
brake valve on lap. 

NOTE — If the brake cylinder pressure 
gradually increases, if it does, there is a leak 
in the application cylinder. If the brake 
cylinder pressure raises to 45 lbs. and stops 
there the independent rotary valve is leak- 
ing; but if the cylinder pressure raises to 
50 lbs. the equalizing slide valve is leaking. 
SAFETY VALVE. 
Q. Test the safety valve? A. Charge the system; apply 
the brakes and note what pressure the safety valve lifts 
and seats; it should be 68 lbs and not allowed to go above 
70 lbs. Release, place the independent brake valve in quick- 
action service position. 

NOTE — The brake cylinder pressure 
should build up 45 lbs. in from two to three 
seconds. Release, place independent brake 
valve handle in slow service position, then 
if the brake cylinder pressure builds up to 
40 lbs. in five to six seconds you may count 
the distributing valve O K. 

FEED VALVE TEST. 

Q. Test the feed valve. A. 1 — Charge the system to the 

standard pressure; then cause a train pipe leak of 7 to 10 

lbs. per minute by slightly opening the angle cock; then 

watch the fluctuation of the train pipe pointer on the small 



101 

gauge. The fluctuation of this pointer will indicate the 
opening and closing points of the feed valve and should not 
vary more than two lbs. 

2 — If the train pipe pointer does not move it indicates 
too loose a supply valve piston and the leak is being sup- 
plied past the piston and regulating valve. 

3 — If the fluctuation is more than two lbs. the feed valve 
is dirty and needs to be cleaned. 

GOVERNOR TEST. 

Q. Test the pump governor. A. The standard main res- 
ervoir pressure on some roads is 90 lbs. and on others 100 
lbs., which means with a 70-lb. train pipe pressure and a 
90-lb. main reservoir pressure you have an access pressure 
of 20 lbs.; while where a 100-lb. main reservoir pressure is 
the standard you have 30 lbs. excess pressure. In either 
case the main reservoir pointer should indicate the stand- 
ard pressure and the train pipe pointer should show the 
standard pressure with brake valve h^nJIe in either run- 
ning or holding position. Lap the brake valve and the 
main reservoir pointer should raise to the tension of the 
maximum governor top. With the feed valve adjusted to 
the standard pressure the regulating spring in the excess 
governor head must be adjusted to the difference between 
the main reservoir and the train pipe pressure, which would 
be 30 lbs., with a 100-lb. main reservoir pressure. 
TRAIN PIPE TEST. 

Q. Test the train pipe? A. Make a 5-lb reduction; lap 
the brake valve and note the train pipe leakage, which will 
be indicated by the black hand on the small gauge. The 
leakage should not exceed five lbs. per minute. 
AUTOMATIC BRAKE VALVE TEST. 

Q. Test the automatic brake valve? A. Place the brake 
valve in service position and allow it to remain there until 
the equalizing reservoir and the train pipe pressures have 
been exhausted. Close the cut-out cock under the brake 
valve (if using the straight Westinghouse brake). Lap 



102 

the brake valve and note if there is a blow at the train pipe 
exhaust. If so the rotary valve or the body gasket (the 
lower gasket No. 19) is leaking main reservoir air into 
the train pipe. While the brake valve is on' lap note if the 
black hand on the large gauge raises from zero; the top 
gasket No. 18 is leaking main reservoir air into Chamber 
"D" and the equalizing reservoir. 

Q. If with the brake valve in either release, running or 
holding position, there is a constant blow at the train pipe 
exhaust, what is the trouble? A. The equalizing discharge 
valve is unseated. 

Q. How can this be remedied? A. By placing the brake 
valve in service position and tap on the side of the body 
of the valve. 

Q. If this will not dislodge the obstruction, what next 
would you do? A. Take out the train pipe exhaust plug 
and stir in with a pointed piece of wood. 

INDEPENDENT BRAKE VALVE. 

Q. To test independent brake valve? A. Make a light 
application of the brake, then if the brake cylinder pres- 
sure raises to 45 lbs. the rotary valve is leaking. 

Q. Test the reducing valve? A. Make a full independent 
application of the brake; if the reducing valve is properly 
adjusted the red hand on the small gauge will register 
45 lbs. 

MISCELLANEOUS QUESTIONS. 

Q. With the P. R. R. cut-out cock inserted in the main 
reservoir pipe, how would you arrange lo test the auto- 
matic brake valve? A. If using a triple valve on tender 
close cut-out cock in branch pipe to triple. Place auto- 
matic brake valve in service position until equalizing reser- 
voir and train pipe pressure are exhausted, then place the 
independent brake valve in release position and hold it 
there until the blow stops; then place the automatic brake 
valve on lap and wait for the pressure to raise. This will 
take a little longer than with the Westinghouse cut-out 



cock in the train pipe. 

Q. If, while descending a grade, you make a service ap- 
plication of the brake, and while holding the brake ap- 
plied you notice the main reservoir pressure has dropped 
below the train pipe pressure and your pumps are travel- 
ing at high speed, what is the trouble? A. Leaky brake 
cylinders. 

Q. What would you do? A. The train brakes could not 
be released. Bring the train to a stop. Release the engine 
brakes with the independent brake valve.* When the main 
reservoir pressure is pumped up release the train brakes. 
When the auxiliaries are recharged go ahead. 

Q. How would you overcome this trouble the next time 
you applied the brake? A. Apply the brakes in the usual 
way. When the train pipe exhaust ceases release the en- 
gine brakes with the independent brake valve; this will 
allow the main reservoir pressure to build up. 

Q. If the main reservoir pressure is either albove cr 
below the standard, where is the trouble? A. The regu- 
lating spring in the excess or low pressure governor head 
is not properly adjusted. 

Q. How would you adjust this spring? A. First you 
must know that the feed valve is properly adjusted. Place 
the automatic brake valve handle in running position and 
«Iack or tighten the regulating nut. 

Q. How should the brake valve handle work? A. Easy. 

Q. If the handle of either brake valve is hard to work, 
how could you remedy this ? A. Close the main reservoir 
cut-out cock under the automatic brake and blow all the 
pressure out; remove the cap nut from the rotary stem 
and oil through the oil hole, bearing down on the handle 
to work the oil down, also remove the oil plug from the 
body of the valve and oil the rotary valve. Move the han- 
dle from one extreme position to the other. 

Q. Why is a gauge used to indicate both equalizing and 
train pipe pressures? A. Because with the G-6 brake valve 



1C4 

• 

the packing ring on the equalizing piston does not fit per- 
fectly tight in the bush, and with the brake valve on lap 
train pipe leakage will reduce the Chamber "D" pressure; 
but with the H-6 brake valve the equalizing piston packing 
rings form an air-tight joint and no equalizing can occur. 
To test this lap the brake valve, open the angle cock and 
note the train pipe pointer dropping to zero, but the equal- 
izing pointer will not move. 

Q. Does long or short piston travel effect the brake? 
A. No. 

Q. Why? A. Because the brake cylinder pressure must 
equal that of the application cylinder before the main reser- 
voir pressure is cut off. 

Q. Will leaky brake cylinders leak the brake off ? A. No. 

Q. Why? A. Because when the brake cylinder pressure 
reduces below the application cylinder pressure the appli- 
cation piston is moved to application position and the brake 
cylinder pressure quickly built up again. 

Q. If ycu have an idea that the brake cylinder gauge is 
not correct, how would you test it? A. If you know that 
the reducing valve is properly adjusted make a full inde- 
pendent application of the brake, and the brake cylinder 
pointer should register at 45 lbs. Another way is to make 
a light service application with the automatic brake valve, 
noting the exact number of pounds reduced, multiply this 
by 2Vz, the answer will be the number of pounds the brake 
cylinder pointer should point to. 

Q. Explain how the air passes through the apparatus 
in an emergency application of the brake. A. The auto- 
matic brake valve being placed in the emergency position, 
air passes direct from the train pipe to the atmosphere. 
The train pipe pressure being suddenly reduced brings 
the equalizing portion of the distributing valve to emer- 
gency position, which opens communication between pres- 
sure chamber and application chamber and cylinder and air 
passes to the face of application piston; moves application 



106 

portion to application position; air also passes from the 
top of automatic rotary to the application cylinder, which 
builds the application cylinder pressure very high, which 
holds the application portion to application position, 
which permits main reservoir pressure to flow into the 
brake cylinder constant. The high application cylinder 
pressure lifts the safety valve and air from the applica- 
tion chamber flows to the atmosphere through the retarded 
port in the equalizing slide valve and safety valve; the 
two pressures combined hold the application portion, and 
the main reservoir pressure equalizes in the brake cylinder 
almost 96 lis. per square inch, this pressure being reduced 
by blowing down the application chamber pressure through 
the retarded port and safety valve, which requires from 
18 to 26 seconds to reduce from 96 to 68 lbs., the normal 
brake cylinder pressure. 

Q. Can the brake be used on a dead engine, say, placed 
back of 20 cars in a train? A. Yes; the brakes can be 
applied and released on the dead engine. 

Q. Explain the dead engine feature and show where the 
air comes from to apply the brakes on a dead engine. 
A. Close the cut-out cock in the train pipe under the bsake 
valve. If using P. R. R. cut-out cock then blank the train 
pipe under the brake valve and open the cut-out cock in the 
by-pass pipe; then train pipe air will pass through the by- 
pass pipe into the main reservoir. The non-return check 
valve is held to its seat by a spring with a 20-lb. tention. 
Hence from a 70-lb. train pipe pressure we get 50 lbs. pres- 
sure in the main reservoir and through the supply pipe to 
the distributing. 

Q. What brake cylinder pressure will we get from a 15- 
lb. train pipe reduction? A. 37 "Vz lbs. per square inch. 

Q. Would you slack the reducing or feed valve? A. No. 

Q. What must be done with both brake valves ? A. Both 
brake valves must be placed in running position and fas- 
tened so they cannot move. 



106 

Q Could the brakes be applied with either brake valve 
handle in any other position? A. Yes. 
Q Could the brakes be released? A. No. 
Q What would occur if the maximum governor head 
was out of service and the automatic brake valve handle 
was left en the lap ? A. The main reservoir pressure would 
run very high. 

Q. If with both brake valves in running position a blow 
occurs at the straight exhaust of the automatic brake valve, 
where is the trouble? A. Air is leaking past the inde- 
pendent rotary valve, equalizing slide valve or the distrib- 
uting valve gasket. 

Q. How can you tell which of these parts are causing 
the blow? A. Unconnect the release pipe; lap the auto- 
matic brake valve; then if the air blows down the in- 
dependent rotary is leaking. If the air blows up the 
^equalizing slide valve or the distributing valve gasket is 
leaking; but you cannot tell which of the latter is causing 
the blow without taking the distributing valve apart. 

Q. You think that the system is charged up; you make 
.an automatic application of the brakes, but the engine 
brakes do not apply. Where is the trouble? A The 
strainer at the junction of the train pipe and branch to 
the distributing valve is clogged up, or the feed groove in 
the equalizing piston bush is clogged up. 

Q. Can the engine brakes be applied if the pressure 
chamber is not charged? A. Yes; independently, but not 
automatically. 

Q. With an automatic application of the brakes, may 
the engine brake be released while holding them on the 
train? A. Yes; the engine brakes may be partially or 
wholly released and lightly or fully applied again with 
the independent brake valve. 

Q. Can the brakes be released on the train and held 

on the engine? A. Yes, with the automatic brake valve. 

Q. Do leaky brake cylinders cause brakes to release? 



107 

A. No. 

Q What will cause brakes to release? A. A leak in 
the application pipe; release pipe or the application cylin- 
der cap or safety valve. 

Q. If the top pipe of the excess governor head breaks 
and you fail to blank the lower pipe, what will occur? 
A. The pump will stop and you cannot get it to work. 

Q. Then what must be done? A. Blank the lower pipe. 

Q. Why will the pump stop when the top pipe to the 
excess governor head is broken? A. Because when the 
top pipe is broken it takes the pressure off the diaphragm, 
the main reservoir air raises the pin valve, forces the 
piston dcwn, seating the steam valve. 

Q. Have you ever noticed that with the automatic brake 
valve handle in either running or holding position, to cut 
in uncharged cars the pump will stop for a while? What 
causes the pump to stop? A. When uncharged cars are 
cut in it reduces the train pipe pressure. With the brake 
valve handle in either running or holding position the 
port in the rotary valve which leads from the feed valve 
pipe to the train pipe is much larger than the feed port 
in the feed valve, hence the feed pipe pressure is greatly 
reduced; this lightens the pressure above the diaphragm 
of the excess governor head, thus the pin valve will be 
unseated and the pump will stop. 

Q. How long will the pump remain standing still ? 
A. Until the train pipe and feed valve pipe pressures are 
raised to within 30 lbs. of the main reservoir pressure. 

Q. Would you release the brakes on a long freight train 
, lile in motion the same as with a long passenger train? 
A. No; the automatic brake valve handle should be moved 
to release position and left there for a time, according 
to the length of the train, the time should not exceed 20 
seconds. 

Q. Why do this? A. To insure a proper release of all 
the brakes. 



108 

Q. After making a release on a long train and the 
brale valve handle has been brought to a running position, 
should it be returned to release position again? A. Yes, 
but not until it has remained in running position from 
three to five seconds, then return to release position from 
or-e to two seconds, then to running position. 

Q. Why should this be done? A. In releasing the 
brakes some of the auxiliaries on the front end may be 
overcharged; if so those brakes may be reapplying and 
cause them to drag; by moving the brake valve handle 
to release position for an instant will release such brakes. 

Q We say the feed grooves in the K-l and K-2 triple 
valves are of the same size. Why does the K-2 triple 
charge a large reservoir in the same time that a K-l 
triple takes to charge a small reservoir? A. The K-2 
triple having the larger reservoir to charge is supplied 
with an extra feed port leading from cavity "Y" through 
the body of the triple and slide valve to the auxiliary; thus 
charging two ways through the K-2 triple, while the K-l 
triple charges but one way. 

Q. With the brakes released there is a constant blow 
at the distributing valve exhaust, where is the trouble? 
A. The application valve is leaking. 

Q. With the brakes applied there is a blow at the dis- 
tributing valve exhaust, what is causing it? A. The ex- 
haust valve is leaking 

Q. If while running along with a passenger train the 
crew notice a brake sticking, how. can the conductor com- 
municate with the engineer to get him to release the 
brakes ? A. By giving him one blast of the signal whistle 
then the engineer will precede to release the brakes. 

Q. How would he do this? A. If the train pipe pres- 
sure is up to the standard, he should make an 8 to 10 
lbs. service application and make a proper release. If 
the brakes cannot be released in this way he must stop 
and ascertain the trouble. 



109 

Q. With the E. T. equipment where do the pipes 
branching off from the main reservoir lead to? A. 
To the distributing valve, feed valve, automatic brake 
valve and reducing valve. 

Q. With the E. T. equipment where do the pipes lead 
to that branch from the main reservoir pipe? A. To the 
automatic brake valve, to the distributing valve, to the 
feed valve, to the reducing valve, to the pump governor 
and to the red pointer on the large gauge. 
MANIPULATION. 
NOTICE— Carefully the handling of 
the E. T. brake. 

Q. On coupling to a train, in which position would you 
place the automatic brake valve handle while charging 
the brake system? A. In release position. 

Q. How long would you leave the handle in this po- 
sition? A. Until the system charges up to the stan- 
dard pressure carried. 

Q. Then to what position would you move it? A. To 
running position. 

Q. What train pipe reduction would you make to make 
a terminal test of the brakes? A. 25 lbs. 

Q. What do you understand by an application? A. An 
application means, from the time the brakes are applied 
until they are released, regardless of the number of 
train pipe reductions that are used to apply them. 

Q. When starting to apply the brakes would you first 
place the brake valve handle in release position for a 
second or two? A. No; that is the habit of some men, 
but should not be done, this overcharges the train pipe 
and causes a much greater volume of air to pass through 
the train pipe exhaust before the train pipe pressure is 
reduced 5 lbs. below auxiliary equalization and will re- 
sult in not getting the pistons out at all from a light 
reduction. 

Q. How would you make a two application passenger 



110 

stop with a short train of nine cars or less? A. When 
the speed of the train has been reduced to about 12 miles 
per hour by the first application, release the brakes pre- 
paratory to the second application, by moving the brake 
valve handle from lap to running position, leave it there 
for about 2 seconds or until the brakes start to release, 
then bring it back to lap position again and leave it there 
until you want to make the second application, after 
making the second application and just before the train 
comes to a stop, release the brakes by placing the brake 
valve handle in running position and let it there. 

Q. How would you make a two application stop with a 
train of more than nine cars? A. With the first appli- 
cation bring the speed down to 15 or 18 miles per hour, 
then release ^y placing the brake valve handle in release 
positior for about three seconds, then to lap position 
and leave it the -e. Tud second application of the brakes 
should be held applied until the train stops, then release 
by placing the brake valve handle in release position until 
the train line pointer registers the standard pressure, 
then bring handle to running position and leave it there. 

Q. How would you make a two application stop with 
a freight train? A. The same as with a long passenger 
train, except on releasing the first application, leave the 
brake valve in release position longer according to the 
length of the train, and never release either application 
at low speed. 

Q. While handling trains with the automatic brake 
valve. In which position must the independent brake 
valve be? A. In running position always. 

Q. In handling a light engine which brakes should be 
used? A. The independent brake valve. 

Q. If with the feed valve pipe broken you carry the 
automatic brake valve in release position, then you apply 
the brakes by going to the emergency position, would 
you still have the holding feature? A. Yes. 



Ill 

Q. How would you release these brakes? A. By plac- 
ing the automatic brake valve in release position to re- 
lease position to release the train brakes; then to run- 
ning position to release the engine brakes; then back 
to the release position to recharge the train and leave it- 
there. Another way by which the brakes may be releas- 
ed. Place the automatic brake valve handle in release po- 
sition and let it there, afterwards release the engine 
brakes with the independent brake valve by moving it 
to release position and hold it there until the engine 
brakes are fully released. 

Q. May an examination of the operative parts be made 
without disturbing the pipes? A. Yes, the distributing' 
valve is so arranged that the operative parts may be re- 
moved' without disturbing any of the pipes or their joints 
©r unions. 

SIZE OF PIPES. 

Q. What size is the seam pipe to a 9% inch pump? A, 
One inch pipe. 

Q. What is the size of the exhaust pipe? A. l^-inch 
pipe. 

Q. What size are train pipes? A. For engines, tenders 
and passenger cars, a 1 inch pipe should be used. For 
freight cars a 1% inch pipe. 

Q. The pipe from the main reservoir to the brake valve- 
is what size? A. One inch pipe. 

Q. What size is the discharge pipe? A. 1% inch. 

Q. What size is a signal pipe? A. 3-4 inch under en- 
gine tender and cars. 

Q. The pipe leading from the main reservoir, the sig- 
nal pipe by way of reducing valve is what size? A. 3-8 
inch. 

Q. The pipe leading to the car discharge valve is what 
size? A. %-inch pipe. 

Q. What size pipe leads to the signal whistle from the 
signal valve? A. This depends on the distance the whis- 



112 

tie is located from the valve. If less than 4 feet, a % 
inch pipe. If more than 4 feet, a 1-8 inch pipe. 

Q. What size pipe is from the signal pipe to the sig^ 
nal valve? A. 3-4 inch, reduced at signal valve to % 
inch. 

Q. Which is preferrable, an elbow or a bend? A. A 
long bend, avoid short bends. 

Q. How should pipe work be tested? A. By air — using 
soap suds on outside to locate leaks. 

BRAKING POWER PERCENTAGE . 
Q. Give the braking power percentage. 

Engine drivers and engine truck 75% 

Pasenger cars 90% 

Tenders 100% 

Freight cars 70% 

Compound locomotives 40% 

Q. At the end, I can only say to my fellow workmen — 
and what? A. Remember the first principle in railroad- 
ing, and take the safe course and run no risk. 

HOWARD M. SHADE 

Conemaugh, Pa. 



JAN 54 



